Path of a Warrior
by AlphaDelta1001
Summary: If perfection cannot be achieved through the soul of a single individual, then perhaps a union of two would overcome this barrier. Left alone for six months in the wilderness, Gohan makes a discovery that will change the course of his life!
1. Prologue

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_What Power!_

The desire to achieve perfection has been fought and spoken of for hundreds of years. People have driven themselves to great lengths to claim such a title; the overall strength to put others down, to rise up above all, conquer the weaker and rule the world, even the universe! These selfish actions can only be achieved by becoming the perfect, strongest being…a true tyrant. Villains and evil men of all shapes, sizes and races have risen up to try and claim that trophy…that title; to become perfect, undisputed and unquestionable rulers. But neither has ever succeeded in gaining such power…

The right to gain perfection can only be achieved through pureness and a strong mind. Only a single mortal who possesses these traits can achieve this. And if they do, they have the ability to set things right and make choices that would lead to a better future. But how can something like this be achieved if not one soul can rise up to the challenge?

A single, normal individual can strive as hard as he can to achieve his set goals to reach his main. These goals may appear simple or even hard, the limit to what one person can work hard to achieve. But those individual's who possess uniqueness to others, far beyond the comprehension of ethic and present knowledge, have been known to do great things.

Written in history, people like Goku, Krillin and even Piccolo are examples of unique individuals. Each of them has strengths unique to the other, but has also one thing in common: strength beyond your average man. This has been proven in the various World Martial Arts competitions and fights they have pulled themselves through. Their skills and strengths are defined by their will to train and get stronger. Just like others, they have that goal to become the strongest of them all. But only one of them succeeded.

Goku…

He may appear to be the greatest of all, but doesn't have the power to restore peace to the entire planet, no one can. He tried though, and got the rewards that came with it.

In the tournament in which he fought his greatest fights of all and won, he found love and married. To which life went on, Goku's wife Chi-Chi bared them a child. They named him Gohan.

Gohan was no ordinary child. Sure he was born as the son of the Ox-King's daughter and the son of the World Tournament Champion, but there were other things about him, secrets that lay dormant within the child's mental and physical being…even deeper then that. He had a potential no other person possessed. These gifts were unfathomable, and have yet to be discovered.

When his powers were discovered, it was a legendary moment. It was here where this amazing story begins…

* * *

_**Some valley to the North West…**_

_**Far beyond Kame House**_

The landing area, where the space mercenary and Goku's brother, Radditz, had landed was scarred and battle torn. Not just by his Saiyan space pod, but also by the brawling and fighting that has been going on. It was unbelievable, the destruction and raw power that was displayed by the fighters that had participated. It was indescribable! No battle in history had ever been fought as fiercely as this. It was a fight between life and death, where the end would decide the fate of the planet.

However, the action was all over, just as quickly as it had come. The fight was brought down to nothing less than pain and suffering, an experience known very well in the line of a hero work.

Moving across the crater where the Saiyan space pod lay and where Piccolo knelt, shaking, battered and weakened, we are drawn to the sounds of screaming. These sounds of agony escaped from none other then Goku's mouth, untamed. This was so because the superior, stronger fighter, Radditz, was crushing the life out of him.

Goku was a wreck. In the fight that had taken place, the older Saiyan had suffered bruises and scars that would make any other man fall at the sight of first drawn blood. Battered and bruised, and bleeding from the mouth, the spiky haired hero had finally met his match. Lying spray legged and armed on the floor, Goku could do nothing as his evil brother brought his foot down on him, literally.

Radditz, dressed in a black spandex uniform and plastic armor, was the victor here. Chuckling through gritted teeth, the Saiyan invader mercilessly crushed his brother with his foot pressed down hard on his chest. He had suffered scars too, but they were only third degree burns and chips off his armor. This was all the proof needed to say that Goku and Piccolo's efforts to bring down the mercenary were futile. Radditz was dominating, and was right now taking advantage of the situation at hand to make his brother suffer.

The Saiyan laughed, his eyes flashing dangerously. "You are a fool, Kakarot! Did you seriously think that you or your friend could beat me?! My power far exceeds yours! It would have been something you could have achieved if you didn't go soft. So now you pay the price! SUFFER!!!" Radditz growled, pressing down harder on Goku's chest. He could feel Goku's muscles tear and his bones crack under the pressure. The weakened fighter could bear it no longer. Goku screamed out all the more.

Piccolo was unable to do anything either. Already exhausted from spending his energy on his last Special attack in an attempt to finish Radditz off, the Namek was forced to stand and watch as his short term ally was crushed by another. Although he was pleased that Goku was suffering, he felt a twitch of anger. Not only had he failed to defeat Radditz, but was not sharing the glory in Goku's defeat. Gripping the open socket where his left arm used to be, Piccolo cursed at the Saiyan, staggering off his knees and onto his feet.

"T-That wretch!!! I'll make sure he stays down next time! Grrhhh…" the Namek growled, his legs shaking, almost knocking him off balance.

As the torture and screaming dragged on, a very distant presence, which was confined to the space pod in the crater, was forced to watch the horror taking place, and hear the agony that was being had by the victim. Gohan, having been kidnapped by his uncle Radditz, was trapped inside the space craft, helpless and unable to do anything. Peering through the window, Gohan couldn't really see above the crater but only catch a whiff of the action. Even so, the space pod wasn't sound proof. For the past minute or so, he was forced to endure the pains and sufferings of experience as his father was mercilessly tortured by his brother. The Saiyan child cried.

"DADDY! NOOOO!!! DAAAADDDYYY!!!!" Gohan cried, banging on the glass with his fists. Crunching over, the child tried to block out the sounds of his father's cries, but it was no good. They continued to flow into the pod like water, traumatizing the kid.

His father's cries and screams of pain burned at his heart. It pained him, emotionally, making his body rattle and shake uncontrollably. Soon, his own bones and muscles began to ache, with a strange feeling of determination and anger beginning to rise to the surface. It bubbled and crack, with tears flowing down his cheeks like rivers. This brought about a new feeling…something he had never felt before…

Goku screamed louder. His voice carried for miles. He felt something splinter and break; a crack very audible to his ears. Radditz chuckled with a very evil grin in play. He increased pressure, stomping down again.

"Yes that's it. A bit more of this and you'll soon die!" Radditz growled, his fists tightening. Gohan gritted his teeth, trying to force in a scream. But the pain bottled up, before escaping his lips. This scream was the loudest of all.

That was all that was needed to get Gohan to break that barrier, in which he could not go back. The child's eyes shot open, letting out an angry, white glow. His teeth gritted and his hands fisted tightly. Gohan let out a cry of his own. This one though, was of both pain and anger. All his pent up energy and rage was released in that one mighty blow. A powerful, electrical blue aura exploded around him, expanding so rapidly that it began cracking the interior and exterior of Radditz's space pod.

Radditz was about to finish off his brother when he suddenly picked up something over his scouter. The yellow indicators beeped to light on his green visor, soon followed by a scream which sounded all too familiar to him.

"_DADDY!!!"_

Radditz's eyes widened with shock and he spun around, lifting his foot off of Goku's chest. His eyes landed on the crater not too far out from where he stood.

"WHAT! What was that?!" the mercenary shouted. Goku shook where he lay. One of his eyes opened up slightly, revealing the pain he had been experiencing moments before. It was from that moment that out of the corner of his senses, he felt an enormous power somewhere close by. It wasn't Radditz's that's for sure. No, this one felt all too familiar and was continuously growing and growing at a phenomenal rate.

Goku trembled, gulping in saliva. A smile spread across his lips. He knew who it was. "G-Gohan…"

Radditz growled and looked down at his wounded brother. "What! Your brat! That's not possible!" his scouter continued to beep, giving him a clear read out. The evil Saiyan warrior gasped and spun round, back towards the crater. When he did, he saw beams of golden light shooting up and out of the crater where his ship was. The combination of the power read out and the amount of light shooting out of the landmark made his limbs tremble.

"_No! It can't be. The strongest being on this planet was my half-witted, backstabbing brother! And his power level is only 416! Wait…errggh…the beings on this planet know how to hide their power levels! But…the brat can't be generating that much power!!!"_

His scouter read: 1,300. Even though that number flashed by, it still continued to climb. Radditz began to sweat, his eyes twitching and widening. When the energy readout surpassed 1,500, the Saiyan stepped back, legs barely holding him up because he was trembling so much.

When it seemed as though this light show would be continuing, there was a massive explosion and a huge gust of wind. The force of the explosion shook the valley in which every fighter stood or lay. Right on queue, a huge fire ball shot upwards and out of the crater, throwing flaming debris and ash everywhere. The fire ball took a mushroom formation above the crater, before it suddenly all dissipated into a thick, black cloud of smoke. The flaming debris fell at a radius of 50 meters away from the crater, scattering all over the plains.

The explosion and the force came as somewhat of a shock to Radditz. Even after the fiery mushroom had vanished, there was still a base burning at the bottom of the crater. It was so fierce it was as if a ton of gasoline was burning. Just as everyone thought that the person held prisoner within that space pod had been disintegrated in the explosion, a shadowed figure leapt out from the base of the crater. Bursting through the fire and smoke, the small person spun through the air before landing on both feet, five meters away from the crater. His landing made a crack mark, with his right knee embedded in the floor and his left hand slammed down, supporting him.

Seconds after the half Saiyan child had landed, Gohan stood up, fists balling at his sides and legs spread shoulder width apart. Radditz's mouth hung agape, silent as he was too shocked to speak. His brother's son, the so called, weakling brat, had just leapt out of a megaton explosion without a scratch, and was on fire, literally.

What appeared to be fire was actually a flaming aura. The blue energy output was fierce and unyielding. The forcefulness of the winds it created cracked the ground beneath its source's feet. To accompany this display of power was what looked to be a lightning storm. White bolts of hot electricity shot out from the young Saiyan's aura, striking the ground anywhere within an eight meter radius. Despite its lack of charging distance, it still looked dangerous. But that wasn't the only thing that looked dangerous. If you were to look into Gohan's eyes, eyes that once held innocence and kindness, was now filled with a burning hatred and anger of a warrior. Both his orb irises were glowing a brilliant turquoise, an unquestionable shade that stood out on his face.

Piccolo, who was standing a distance away from the action, was shocked as well. Just like Radditz, he stood there limply with his mouth hanging open and eyes wide. Never has he seen such a ferocious display of power. The energy lashed away at the air and earth, scorching it. Dust kicked up from the ground whenever a high electrical bolt struck, zapping it for a short period before disappearing.

Radditz stammered and backed off more, completely astounded. No hint of malice or the urge to taunt could be seen on his expression. All of it was replaced by fear and uncertainty.

"T-The brat i-is in…incredible!"

Gohan sobbed where he stood, eyes still shedding tears. Stricken with pain and totally out of control, Gohan leered at the one responsible for this. The one who had mercilessly tortured his father and the one who had caused him pain. Radditz…

The half Saiyan child hissed venomously. "You…you…STOP HURTING MY DAD!!!"

Radditz choked a yell and backed up. In a split second, Gohan shot straight at him, soaring through the air. In a cool twist and an awesome display of power, his blue aura turned into a fierce glowing fireball around him. With a bellowing scream, Gohan ripped through the air faster then a missile, on route to strike at his target.

Before Radditz could react, he got rammed in the chest by Gohan. First he felt and heard a distinct crack, but then he felt much worse, with good reason. On impact, Gohan broke his uncle's ribs and chest. Continuing further, Gohan went straight through his uncle, punching a clean, large hole straight through the villain. The blow and force was tremendous, throwing Radditz back in the direction Gohan was traveling, arms and legs failing him. Seconds after Gohan exited, he spun through the air and landed. He came to a skid like stop, entrenching his feet in the ground in an unfamiliar fighting stance.

Moments later, Radditz's body fell with a loud thud, his body crashing like a rock. A look of utter horror and shock was written all over his face. Dust rose and fell with the moment, and the silence dawned.

Shaking and trembling on the verge of death, Radditz moved his head to the side. Although he couldn't see Gohan, he knew he was there, somewhere.

"I-Impossible! H-he k-killed me! (Choke) B-beaten by a…m-mere c-child…!"

At the end of his sentence, the half Saiyan child in question stood up, tall and strong. Whirling around, Gohan's hatred filled eyes glared down at the fallen one. He still held the same energy and ferocity he had brought to the surface through intense emotions and pain. His turquoise eyes wavered in their place.

As soon as Gohan spotted his uncle Radditz, lying in a pool of red blood and his lips coated with it as well, the child suddenly relaxed. Letting out an exhausted sigh, Gohan's eyes turned back to their original color and texture before turning blank white. Then, with a deep out flow of breath, Gohan collapsed, losing consciousness and falling forward, flat on his gut and face.

Darkness now overcame his world…

**_TO BE CONTINUED…_**


	2. Path to Discovery

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Path of Discovery_

It didn't seem to be a long sleep for Gohan. In fact, the moments of darkness only lasted for what was thought to be a minute before he was rudely awakened by a very sharp, wet and cold sensation. It shot through him like lightning, waking him up instantaneously.

Jumping awake, Gohan let out a drowned yelp before scrambling to the surface of wherever he was at the bottom of. Breaking for air, the half Saiyan panted for breath, his intakes raspy and croaky. Recomposing himself didn't take long either, but he was still very, very cold…and wet. Where the hell was he?

Shaking the drowsiness from him, the chibi Saiyan looked up, blinking. At least his field of view and vision was fine.

Standing before him, beside the pond he was in was the all too familiar, nemesis of the earth Piccolo. The Namek had his arms crossed and was glaring down at the boy, impatiently waiting for him to regain all his senses. With his left arm grown back and new clothes to boot, the green skinned warrior looked as tough as ever.

Coughing out the last of the water he had swallowed, the young Saiyan stared up again with greater focus. He still choked on some water, though…that didn't stop him. Aware of these unfamiliar situations and the person with whom he is with now, made Gohan worry. He stared up at the Namek fearfully.

"W-Who are you?" Gohan managed to cough up, still having some water caught up in his throat. He sure recognized the person, but he didn't know his name, that was the problem. Piccolo flinched; his shadow cast over the kid and making himself look even more terrifying through Gohan's eyes. The half Saiyan child however thought nothing of it and just looked at him strangely.

"You can call me Piccolo. But never mind that now we have serious business to get down too. Now that you have regained consciousness I can finally speak to you!" the Namek growled. Gohan backed away a bit, treading more into deeper water and getting even more soaked. He had a lily pad plastered on his back, as well as a lily flower. On his hands and knees and soaked to the brim, he looked kind of silly.

"W-Where's my dad?" Gohan asked. Piccolo grumbled, his teeth gritted and bore.

While the Namek was muttering to himself to why he had to baby sit his enemy's son, the chibi Saiyan decided to take in his surroundings and looked around, wondering where he was.

Around him was a wide open valley with many cliffs and trees standing. Just beyond the hillsides he spotted what looked to be a large forest. The darkness and shades provided by the trees didn't look too promising though. The place was den, with the valley lacking any water source except for the pond he was sitting in. The skies were clear enough, with a couple of clouds drifting by. It wasn't much to talk about.

The surroundings didn't really matter now, all Gohan wanted to see was his father. Unfortunately, he wasn't here.

"Your father is dead okay brat! He was killed by that no-good uncle of yours. Since he's gone, I've taken you into my charge!" Piccolo stated, replying to Gohan's question. Gohan looked up, jumping in surprise at the news.

Getting to his feet, his clothes sodden, the child staggered out of the pond. Piccolo didn't even bother making space for him as the child pulled himself up and out of the shallows.

As soon as Gohan was out, he looked back up at the Namek, his orb, black eyes wavering. It looked like he was about to bring out the water works. But for some reason, it just didn't come yet.

"M-My dad's d-dead…" Gohan stuttered. Piccolo's right eye twitched. He nodded affirmatively, his hard gaze still stuck on the chibi.

"Yes…"

Looking down at the ground, Gohan sniffed; his arms trembling and hands shaking. Seconds later, the resulted emotions of these words struck on home with Gohan sitting himself down and pulling his knees up to him, his arms hugging his legs tightly. The Saiyan child shook there, sniffing and sobbing a bit. Tear drops flowed down his cheeks, but not in the mass quantities expected. Piccolo's finger tapped impatiently as he watched the child shiver at his feet, waiting. It was sort of a pathetic sight, and that was coming from him.

Gohan sniffed. "I-It can't be…m-my daddy c-can't be dead. I-I thought I saved…h-him…"

Piccolo rolled his eyes, looking away. "Well…obviously you were too late…"

Gohan shook his head, his eyes clenching shut. The weight of his father's death came down pretty hard, nestling right on top of him. Even so, he refused to shed these tears of pain now. His recent explosion of anger had all but emptied him of all reason to be upset. He had to stay strong.

Wiping his eyes with his wet sleeve, Gohan stood up. Because his sense of balance was still a little off, he stumbled a bit, but he eventually steadied himself. Taking in a few breaths, Gohan looked up at the Namek. He may still be showing the signs of hurt and torment, yet he still remained collected. Piccolo nodded.

"Hm…it's good to see you're not crying your eyes out. If you were I would have to beat you till you stop," the Namek grumbled. Gohan blinked, his eyes locked with Piccolo's. The corner of the green warrior's mouth twitched. The scene kind of edged him out. "Anyway, we have other stuff to go on with, so listen carefully. Before you lost consciousness after you killed your uncle, you showed an amazing display of untapped power. It was incredible…not even I have seen such immense amounts of energy before. But…" Piccolo's eyes scrutinized the child. "I'm assuming you have no control over them…"

Gohan blinked some more. This caught him as sort of surprising. He never expected to hear that coming from a complete stranger. "P-Powers? W-what powers?" Piccolo shrugged.

"Well, I guess that's one thing you and I will both have to find out…"

Grabbing Gohan by the back of his shirt, the Namek lifted him off the ground. The child protested to this in kind, thrashing about as he was lifted off his feet. "H-HEY! Put me down! What are you doing?!!!" Piccolo growled, cranking the arm that held Gohan back. Gohan was tossed about like a rag doll.

"Getting you to show your powers the only way I can!!"

With a yell, Piccolo threw him as hard as he could straight towards the nearest, largest mountain. Gohan wailed as he was hurled straight towards the hill, with no hope of stopping. The rocky outcrop was closing in fast! He had to do something quickly. As the chibi Saiyan soared off, Piccolo watched intently and anxiously; wanting to see how the child would pull himself out of his predicament.

Gohan was only seconds away from impact. Through the intensity of the situation he was thrown into, Gohan's instincts kicked in followed by an explosion of energy within triggered by his increased fear, upset and worry. With a low growl, Gohan balanced himself in the air. Throwing both his hands forward, the child let out a yell and released all his concentrated energy in one burst. A blue ball of energy formed in his palms and, when it did, a massive beam shot out, expanding and becoming enormous. Piccolo was shocked. In that split second, as Gohan was thrown back by the force, the blast collided with the mountain, disintegrating it. The following explosion was not too far off, with a distant hillside exploding, sending dust and dirt flying everywhere.

By the time the explosion and blast died, Gohan had already landed. Rolling along the ground, Gohan came to a screeching stop, just meters away from the shocked Piccolo. Groaning and pushing himself up, Gohan looked ahead of him to see what had happened. The same feeling and expression of astonishment fell over him, his mouth and eyes opening wide.

The power he had displayed was nothing he had ever conjured up before. The mountain he had aimed for was gone, with nothing but a large crater remaining. Behind it was a massive trench, its width measuring the same as the mountain's length. It grew as it ventured outwards. But as the trench moved outwards, it grew shallower. At the end, there was an even larger crater where the energy blast ended. That was where the explosion took place and where most of the damage had occurred. The brunt of the blast was used to destroy the mountain, but a huge segment of the energy remained.

Piccolo blinked in disbelief. "Whoa…now that's a crater…"

Gohan turned around, slowly getting to his feet. Shaken, he looked up at Piccolo, seeing him staring off with astounded written all over him. "D-D-Did I d-do that?" Gohan stammered.

The Namek nodded, regaining some of his composure. Getting back into a proper standing position, he shook his head and looked down at the child, sweating. With these new seeds of power shed, the green warrior began thinking of ways in which he could polish it.

"You sure did. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. You have much more to show me. In time you will learn to control this and use it as your element to gain advantages in battle," Piccolo stated.

Gohan was back on his feet again and was looking up at Piccolo with interest and intent. He was listening carefully to what the Namek had to say. From what he had just done, he now had no doubt about his capabilities and was not going to pass up a chance to learn more about it.

"B-But why are we out here? Where are we?" Gohan asked. Piccolo flinched and looked away towards the horizon.

"We're no where. I have taken you as far away from civilization as possible in order to teach you independence. In other words I have brought you out here to train. Because neither your father nor your friends can help, I have decided to train you. Another reason for this and for bringing you out here is because in a year's time, two stronger more powerful Saiyans are coming to earth. They are far stronger then your uncle, and are sure to wreck havoc on this planet, maybe even destroy it. We'll need everything we have to beat them. Your training might guarantee our victory," Piccolo replied, explaining it in form. Gohan blinked, tilting his head to the side as he looked up at the Namek.

"Oh…Okay then. I see," he said in response. Piccolo nodded, looking down at him in disinterest as if he were some kind of boring animal. Even so, he tried to get used to the kid's childish and naïve behavior.

"It's good to see you're enthusiastic about this," Piccolo said. Seeing that Gohan's present state and dress wear wasn't going to be of much help to him, the Namek decided to improve this.

Pointing at the ground a couple of meters away from them, Piccolo conjured up a small amount of energy and brought it up as one. With a flash of light, a set of new clothes magically appeared on the grass right before their very eyes. Gohan blinked in surprise, awing at the sight. Lowering his arm, Piccolo turned to his to-be student again.

"For the next six months I want you to live and survive out here on your own. If you manage this, then I'll train you for the last six months before the Saiyans arrive," Piccolo stated, crossing his arms. Gohan immediately looked up at Piccolo as soon as he heard that statement. It was so sudden, and didn't make much sense.

"W-What!" Gohan shrieked. "H-How am I supposed to survive out here on my own for six months! There's nothing out here!" Piccolo shrugged.

"Figure it out. That's the whole point of this exercise!" With a swish of his cape, Piccolo took off. Shooting up into the skies above, the Namek disappeared seconds later, with Gohan following him to where he was going.

Now he was alone. Shaken, cold, wet and sort of hungry, the child didn't know what to do. With the pressure beginning to seep in, the half Saiyan chibi collapsed, falling onto his backside and looking down at the ground.

"Great," he muttered. Crossing his arms and legs, he tilted his head and began thinking intensely. His face scrunched up with concentration. "How am I going to survive out here on my own? I don't even know where I am…"

Then, an idea hit him. Looking up, Gohan began exploring this new revelation. The possibilities were extreme, but made a lot of sense.

"_He expects me to survive, to learn proper independence! He's put me in an unfamiliar situation in a place I've never been too, expecting me to learn how to take care of myself when times get rough. Now I get it!"_ Gohan nodded affirmatively, beginning to understand his predicament fully. _"So this isn't pointless. I can grow stronger on my own and see what I can accomplish. Well, better stop wasting time…"_

Getting to his feet, Gohan removed his traditional household top. The fabrics stuck to his skin, making it harder for him to peel it off. When his shirt was removed, he folded it up and set it aside. Now only dressed in a white singlet, green trousers and shoes, Gohan walked over to the new clothes Piccolo had left out for him.

Upon inspecting the outfit, Gohan discovered that the Namek hadn't just left him a set of clothes but a sword as well. The sword sat on top of the bundle along with a new pair of martial arts shoes. The sword had a brown, leather handle with a golden butt end and handle shield. The sheath it was slid into was red with yellow stamps to hold down the material. It also came with rings in which he could weave a rope through, creating a carrier. The other articles of clothes were interesting too. Piccolo has left him with a smaller version of Goku's outfit, perfect for his size and bearing Gohan's fighting signs. It was a reasonable set.

Smiling, Gohan undressed from the rest of his soaking wet clothes and began slipping on the outfit given to him by Piccolo. Tying the belt up nicely and finding a strong vine in which he could sling his sword and sheath over his shoulder, the chibi was now ready for the tasks ahead. Padding down the clothes on his chest, he felt something else about these clothes. Although they were comfortable and toned similar to his father's, they were also heavy.

"_Hmm…he must have given it some extra weight to get used to…to make me stronger,"_ Gohan thought, smiling. _"This might come in handy…"_

With the clothing problem solved and the tasks all set out for him, Gohan headed off into the unknown. The wilderness was vast; an almost infinite journey in which a young boy can learn so much from. His first step was to find shelter. When he does, then he could finally get down to some one person training…

* * *

_**As the days roll by**_

Gohan settled down comfortably into his new life style. Easily adapting to the wilderness, the chibi sought out a great deal in which he could use to survive. From the time he found himself a descent shelter, he immediately got down to training. Not really knowing where to begin, he contemplated it for a while before remembering how his dad used to train. Remembering this, Gohan was able to formulate his own table and session in which to follow.

First he started off with a long sprint across the valleys and through the mountains. He used every opportunity he could to get stronger, especially while he was out here on his own. After a long sprint, he could get down to body reps. This routine involved hundreds of: pushups, sit ups, leg raises, squats, full on body exercises, one handed pus ups, back lifts, chest workouts, weight sessions using boulders and rocks…anything he could come up with to strengthen himself. It was the first step to becoming a fighter.

After which he would venture out and find something to eat. Around the forests that surrounded the mountains, Gohan found a lot of nutritious sustenance's. Although many of the fruits and berries that grew were poisonous and…some of the other plants would try to eat him like the Thorny Animal Trapper, the Saiyan child found those that were edible. Using his acute senses, it was easy for him to judge different types of plants and animals, allowing him to determine whether they were harmful or not.

In his journeys, Gohan also found lakes and rivers in which he could swim in and drink from. The rivers flowed down from nearby, ice capped mountains; ranges that Gohan rarely visited. The valleys also played host to masses of wildlife. Deer, bears and other smaller critters stayed in the forests, but dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes roamed the plains. The mighty Tyrannosaurs were Gohan's favorite dish. Killing the largest, the young Saiyan used it as a source of food. It practically lasted him an entire day.

Gohan ate three times a day, with plenty of time in between where he could train. After the runs and body workouts, the half Saiyan got down to some martial arts training. Remembering some of his dad's techniques and skills wasn't too difficult. But when it came down to practicing the styles he created, it made it all the more difficult. He followed through the steps, formulating stance after stance and style after style until he perfected each and every one. What he formed was a unique blend of fighting techniques, each used for a different purpose. Having read about proper fighting styles before, he was able to use those too.

Practicing and training each day, Gohan grew more accustomed to fighting. His strengths also increased dramatically, making him more proficient and deadly.

After the martial arts training, he got down to ki manipulation. Having seen himself use the concentrated energy blast a couple of times, he decided to hone in on this. Polishing his energy gathering techniques, he began manipulating his energy in different ways. First he started with powering up, able to harness the energy and strengthen himself ten fold. Second was able to fire small blasts with his fingers then his palms. Energy balls and energy blasts were his main goals. After which he learned how to rapidly fire them, gathering energy with speed. This also helped strengthen his body and mind. Later, he got down to the heavy stuff, firing large blasts of high concentrated energy and releasing it with great force. He invented two primary energy attacks that were simple, easy to position and use and released immense loads of energy. He called the first one Daisenko, which involved throwing any one arm back, turning your body and pivoting before throwing that arm forward, palm and fingers held out. What followed was a massive stream of energy, a powerful, blue ki blast that had tons of energy flowing through it with a resulted high level explosion upon striking an object after its connection has been severed from the source. The second attack was what he called Scattered Volley Shot. A release of high powered, golden energy balls that struck the target one after another. It required a concentrated energy build up, with the equal distribution of energy between each of the twelve energy attacks. It was effective and lethal.

These discoveries were none the less incredible, but Gohan continued to develop new ways in which he could grow stronger and prosper. A great advantage he found when using ki was the ability to fly. He first started practicing levitation, by bringing out a deep energy from within, an infinite orb of power. Allowing it to course through his body and put it underneath him, he used that the gain the ability of flight. As it grew, he did too. His strengths in flight excelled fast, and by combining his powering up technique with it, he flew faster then anything else on the planet. Super speed was one thing, but by ways of this type of flight allowed him to cover a lot of ground quickly.

These new insights into his abilities allowed him to develop new skills, like: force pushes, telekinesis, elemental bending, recovery…all of this he learned all on his own. His mind was strong, and he delved into it from time to time.

Fitting each practice session in between his other sessions of his routine timetable, he finished off his martial arts, exercise and strength training with a full on spar. Putting all his skills and techniques together, he shadow sparred with himself, shooting through the air and attacking like there was no tomorrow. To make it more interesting, he used what he called the split technique. Basically creating a exact copy of himself, Gohan trained with it, both of them on equal grounds but only one of them possessing most of his being. Splitting your ghost divides your energy and can be dangerous for the individual, but Gohan was always careful.

At the end of each day when his sessions were complete, Gohan would meditate for several hours. Sometimes he would do this throughout the night as his body slowly adjusted to not having to sleep. Like Piccolo, he didn't need to sleep much. In two months he didn't need to sleep at all, and still maintain a stable, rested mind through meditation. Every time he meditated he would levitate a couple of feet off the ground. This wasn't a problem, only if he was underneath a low ceiling or something. It was all good. Everything of the above made up for a good, effective time table.

The limitations provided by his gi like the extra weight began to bore the young Saiyan. Learning how to create clothes like Piccolo did took some time, but he eventually got it. In his third month out here, he was able to create his own clothes, as well as increase the weight of the ones he wore presently. It was an awesome ability to have. He tried not to use it too much though.

Finally there was his little appendage problem: his tail. In the past he sometimes latched hold of it and gripped it too hard. The result was a full body freeze, paralyzed; something his dad spoke with him frequently about. He had to do something about it. The solution: strengthening it. By strenuously exercising his tail, Gohan was able to be rid of his weakness. When he found that strengthening his tail also made him stronger, the chibi Saiyan decided to keep it rather then cut it off like his dad did to his. He rather liked the furry appendage where it was. It made him feel whole.

Well, he did encounter a problem with it.

On his third week out in the wilderness, he discovered one night the full moon and what it did to him. He transformed into a giant monkey, the Oozaru. It was a transformation all Saiyan experienced at the sight of the glowing full moon. Gohan was sent on a rampage, his actions tearing apart the valleys he was living in. Thankfully, Piccolo happened to be there. Remembering what Radditz had remarked about Saiyans and their transformation at the full moon, Piccolo destroyed it, after suffering mild shocks and surprises from the powerful ape.

Gohan averted back to his normal form, much to Piccolo's relief. Leaving Gohan with a new set of heavy clothes, the Namek left Gohan once again, where he would be watching from afar and training to become stronger. When Gohan woke up, he went back to his daily training. The night's experience gave him a reality check. He would have to learn to control his Oozaru state.

* * *

_**Four months after being left alone**_

It was a bright, sunny day today with the skies clear and blue, allowing the light to shine down upon the earth, warming it. Far and wide you could see the wonders the world had created, as well as the flora and fauna that flourished. This land was untouched by human activities, leaving it pure and clean. There was no death and destruction, and there was especially no wars being fought. This was clear proof that the Saiyans have not arrived yet. That day of reckoning would come later, but for now, everyone carried on as normal. Well, most people did anyway. The Z-fighters were all hard at work, preparing for the arrival of the two uninvited guests.

Somewhere in the midst of a wide spread valley, a lone soul was, at this moment, training extremely hard. Having dropped out from his regular routine for a day's break to cut himself short, Gohan was shadow sparring with himself. His gi tops were folded neatly and lay on top of one of the hills in the valley while his sword was wrapped up and laid on top of that. These were left unscathed and undamaged, but where was Gohan?

…training of course. Above the fields that he was using as his grounds, zapping in and out of super speed, the young Saiyan was hard at work. Yelling with each attack he threw, Gohan was making the most of the time.

Signs of his being here were everywhere. Not only was his voice carried on the wind, but foot marks, small craters, cracks and burns in the ground were evident of attacks being fired or where he had landed. There were five massive craters, all of them surrounded by smaller ones. It was a tremendous session. Don't count Gohan out as the weakest of the group now. He's been training hard for the past four months, and there was no way he would be giving up without a descent fight.

Zapping out of super speed, Gohan dropped out of the sky and landed hard on the ground, taking a stance and beginning to work himself. His punches and kicks flashed through the air, cutting crisply and making loud force sounds. He growled through gritted teeth, sweat pouring down his face and body. Clean muscles rippled with each attack thrown. The solid as steel muscles were clearly noticeable, showing all the hard work that has paid off for him. He was still young though, so the real development wouldn't be until he reaches ten.

After a final flurry of attacks, Gohan ended with one last kick. This one made a hell of a force wind result, the ground digging up where he aimed. A moment later, when the winds of turbulence died, Gohan lowered his leg and dropped out of a fighting stance. Breathing in and out deeply, pacing himself, he relaxed. When he was sure he was at ease, the chibi Saiyan walked back over to his stuff lying not too far away.

Putting on his tops, he made sure everything was there. His wrist bands, now weighing a certain amount that was quite heavy for this typical exercise, were checked to see if they were clasped properly. After inspecting his outfit, Gohan reached down to collect his sword. But then, he heard something…

"_Come…to me…"_

…a whisper on the wind

Looking up sharply, Gohan's eyes narrowed and he frowned, glancing over his shoulder. He thought it was his imagination, perhaps something out of one of his dreams. The voice didn't sound familiar at all. Maybe it was just the wind.

Scanning the area a bit more, his eyes tracing the valleys to see if anyone was there, he grabbed his sword by the sheath and picked it up, slowly. Then, he heard it again.

"_Come…to me…"_

The whisper was a little bit louder. Although you couldn't really identify its location or its source, it was definitely coming in clear. Gohan heard it through sharp, Saiyan ears. He looked up sharply and spun around.

Gritting his teeth, Gohan looked around more frantically, his eyes going over the valleys. He even turned a full 360, making sure not to miss a single space on the horizon. His senses extended, but he couldn't feel anything. Not an eerie presence or an animal of any kind. The valley was empty…empty…

"_Come…come…"_

Growling in frustration, Gohan grabbed his sword and unsheathed it. Belting his sheath, Gohan spun round in random directions. Holding his weapon in two hands tightly, he began searching harder, concentrating on finding a presence of any kind.

"Who's there?! Show yourself," the boy shouted, his eyes trailing over the valleys again. He spun around again, dropped in that firm fighting stance and searching with his senses. But no matter how far he stretched, he came up with nothing out of the ordinary. Only his ears could hear the voice.

_Come to me…find me!"_

That last part came sharp. Gohan spun in the direction he was sure it came from. His eyes followed over the hillsides, through a forest beyond and beyond that, the mountain ranges he never ventured into. His eyes widened and his eyebrow was raised. He gave the horizon an odd stare, the cool wind slipping through and passed him. His sword shone in the light of the sun, chiming in the wind. He knew something was up…

Something was there…in the mountains…

Calling him…

Clouds gathered in those mountains, dark ones. They presented a cool change in the wind, because the mountain ranges were where he was going next.

"_Find me…"_

Gohan blinked and slid his sword back into its scabbard. It clicked into place, his hands fisting at his sides. He stared intently out towards the mountains, eyes flashing.

"Fine then…I'll find you…"

Without another word said he was off. Crouching low, Gohan powered up before shooting off in that direction, his aura flaring and leaving a trail wherever he went. The chibi Saiyan thought nothing of the dangers that would be awaiting him and just flew straight towards the mountains. Passing by vast hilly valleys, fields, forests and cliffs below, the spiky haired youngster was in no mood of stopping. He had a mystery to unravel.

But what was that voice…that voice in his head? No one could project something that loud, unless he was using an amplifier. No. It was deeper then that. His ears didn't pick it up. It seemed as though it had came in on the wind, but the voice was so distant and deep, something no mountain echo could project up to this range. Gohan contemplated his thoughts for a moment. He didn't know for sure, but he was certain that the voice was transmitted to him telepathically…

It had to be really powerful from that distance…

"_Come to me…find me…"_

Gohan's brow furrowed. He was drawing closer and closer towards the mountains. It wouldn't be too long till he broke through the clouds circling the pinnacle of the rocky landmark. As he drew closer, Gohan began to make out more elements of the ranges surrounding that large mountain on the very edge. Apparently, it wasn't the largest. Over the horizon there were hundreds more like it, far grander and larger then the one Gohan had seen in the distance for the past few months now. They were all snow capped, their peaks disappearing into the white cloud layer high above. It was cold now, very cold. Gohan had broken through and into the ranges, soaring high above it. The wind whipped at him, making him shake.

Breathing out warmth, Gohan shook his head and glared ahead of him.

"Damn, I'll have to warm up." Gohan said. With a deep breath intake, Gohan blew out steadily. This time, he didn't breathe out warmth, as he was keeping it in. Suppressing his energy output, he was able to warm himself without the need for clothes. Although his resistance against freezing temperatures was strong, the temperature up here dropped far below zero. It was strange, no place on earth could create such a low level climate temperature. It wasn't even snowing.

This was definitely strange.

Looking down, Gohan searched the ground from a bird's eye view. At the bases of each mountain, he could see ever green forests and small valleys still. Rivers and lakes formed, all of them iced up and shining in their places, reflecting the light and making them visible. Gohan drifted on absentmindedly, not looking where he was going. It was a strange place indeed. It was really cold up here, but the ground looks as though it has been growing healthily for decades.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eyes, Gohan spotted what looked to be a clearer area down below on a valley hill that stood above all others. It was clearer then most, as it had a dirt road leading up to what looked to be a giant, deserted house. Enhancing his view and slowing down a bit, Gohan saw that it wasn't a house, but ruins of an old castle. It was decaying remains with vines growing all over it and around it. There was hardly any snow or ice here.

Sensing something off about it, Gohan dived down. Just as he did, he heard that shimmering, echoing voice again. It was louder this time; clearer then ever before.

"_You're here…"_

Landing on the dirt road a block away from the entrance of the castle, Gohan fisted his hands that edged for his sword. He felt a need for it, but in another part of his mind, he was told that it wasn't necessary. Standing straight up, Gohan looked over the ruins.

It was certainly no ordinary castle. He judged it to be much older then two hundred years old. Maybe it was even older. The vines were seen to be growing out of control, with thick sections at the bases and hands stretching all over the walls. The stranger thing about it was that surrounding the castle on the hill, was not grass, but vines as well. Most of it was decaying, as if burning. But it was hard to believe a fire could start in such a cold, wet place. The castle itself looked as though it has suffered some damage. Massive holes and missing walls were noticeable, as if it had suffered major bombing. Maybe it was caused by the growing vegetation. The vines on the castle looked healthy enough.

Tilting his head to the side, Gohan took a last minute check of the castle before moving on. He approached it, walking cautiously up the path towards the entrance. His feet crunched against the frozen ground. Wherever he went now, it was always freezing cold. The ground was like ice.

Reaching the entrance, Gohan pushed his way through the half open door. Peering inside, he looked through the darkness, only to find that it wasn't as dark as he thought. A blue light fell upon his form as he stepped in, the sight of the interior before him making his eyes widen. He stood just a meter away from the entrance way he had passed, the light from the outside seeping in. The illumination however was all he needed.

The inside of the castle was large and incredible. Though rotten pillars stretched up towards the bombed out ceiling that was blocked off by vines, barely holding it up, Gohan saw that the crystal formation at the bases of the pillars and on the walls held the castle up. There were giant crystals everywhere, sparkling brilliantly. The cracked windows had light spilling in too, lighting up the vast collection of minerals. The refractions in the solid stones lit them up like light bulbs. It was through this formation of minerals that allowed Gohan to see.

The floor at his feet was cracked, ruined and old, but was held in place by the vines that managed to get into the castle. As soon as Gohan saw this, and after he had taken in the new surroundings around him, he walked forward slowly. The silence wasn't what it was cracked up to be. The giant crystals, formed into boulder shapes, spiky pillars, spikes, stalactites, and stalagmites…all these formation echoed a mysterious chime. It was light, barely audible and hollow. There was also the sound of distant dripping, water falling into a puddle. Well, that's what it sounded. It was actually water dripping slowly down from a stalactite crystal onto a stalagmite crystal. The tone was quite soothing to the ears.

Walking into the centre of the giant room, stepping up onto a higher position and passing it, Gohan began looking around some more. There were only four pillars inside the castle, all of them arranged into a square. Vines ran up them, as well as crystals. In the middle of the four pillars Gohan stood, looking through the dim. While he was here, he tried to find the source of that voice he had been hearing. However, the only thing he found was a large crystal with a metallic frame around it, making it look like a disfigured mirror. The frame was thin, silver and twisted, with a single stand behind it, holding it up. Behind that was a wall reaching up high. It looked like the wall belonging to a church, the circle window above with a shattered crucifix in it. The light from outside lit it up, a blue texture falling from the high light.

Looking over at the mirror and walking towards it slowly, Gohan took one glance it. But then he turned away, turning back to the centre of the room. When his eyes fell on the floor he has walked passed, he blinked in surprise, seeing something there he had never seen before.

Turning his body fully towards the centre, the chibi Saiyan approached a giant rock shaped crystal. It sparkled from all the beams of light directed at it. It sat atop of a platform with steps leading up to it on all four sides like a square. The stone surface was all cracked but not unstable. Gohan however didn't notice. All he had in his sights fixated on was the gleaming sword embedded in the crystal.

When he entered the castle, he didn't see the stone or the sword before, let alone the platform. He must have walked over the rising platform without making a proper reference to it. It was surprising too. The sword gleamed as brightly as the crystal stone in which it was embedded in. The sword's blade was shaped superbly, a claymore blade that was folded over at least a thousand times. Part of the blade stuck out from the stone, with its entire handle showing. The handle curved as much as a Katana handle, leather tied and folded around it, and sewed in tightly. The handle's guard was that of a saber's and the butt end or Pommel of the handle prevented the wielder from losing his grip if it were to slide out by accident. Its edges were curved inwards and it was gold plated. It wouldn't be able too anyway as the grip was deep and steep, perfect for the hands to wield, left or right.

The young Saiyan walked around the crystal stone, admiring the sword sticking out of it. It was a magnificent specimen for its kind, completely flawless. He had half a mind of touching it, but was cautious about good looking objects basking in a bright light whilst surrounded by darkness. He didn't want to get into anything he would later regret in the future.

Just as Gohan stopped where he had started, his back towards the crystal mirror, he suddenly heard the voice again. This time, it was really clear, as if the person were standing directly behind him.

"_Nice isn't it,"_ the voice echoed loudly, making Gohan jump. The chibi Saiyan spun around, his face concentrating hard, eyes narrowing and brow furrowing. Now wasn't the time to be admiring crafts work. He had an investigation to complete.

"I know you're here! Show yourself, whoever you are! I will find you sooner or later!"

The voice chuckled, the voice echoing too.

"_You will not find a solid being, for I have never possessed a body…"_

That proclamation sent chills down Gohan's spine. Shaking his head, he continued searching the entire room. His eyes ventured up and down, seeking out every curve, corner and crevice of the place. His ears and other senses were wide open. This was it. This was the time he would discover what had brought him here. if it was any threat to him, then he would silence it as swiftly as possible…of he could.

A whisper of wind blew past his ear, alerting Gohan of a ghostly figure standing behind him. he spun around, dropped into a fighting stance. When he expected to see a ghost, instead, he spotted the mirror, standing just beyond his reach. The lights flickered as they passed across it, dust and snow flakes refracting in the beams of light.

Cautiously, Gohan approached. Stepping down the stairs slowly, his feet grinding into the ice, the young Saiyan sharpened his glare. A nervous bead of sweat escaped him, showing how worried he was. He knew the man must be behind the mirror. Where else could he be?

As he drew closer, Gohan began to make out his form in the shiny surface. The crystal mirror was smudged and dirty, but he could still see him and the sword behind him clearly. When he was within three meters of the mirror, he stopped.

There was no one else there, only himself. He could see his reflection staring back at him, a perfect copy. It mimicked everything he did. Standing up straighter, Gohan glared into the mirror, his teeth bearing uneasily. He was still sweating. There was no way any ordinary four year old child would experience something like this. The scene was surely edgy and nerve rattling.

When it appeared the phantom would not be showing himself Gohan relaxed, closing his eyes and sighing with relief. Silence at last. It was nothing but his imagination. There was no presence whatsoever.

But when he opened his eyes, Gohan, expecting to see his relieved expression reflected back at him through his reflection, saw something different about his face in the crystal. Instead of relief, he saw that his reflection was smiling at him, eyes narrowed and not doing what he was doing now. The reflection Gohan grinned.

"_Hello Gohan…"_

**_TO BE CONTINUED…_**


	3. Unification

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Unification_

Gohan got quite a start from the sudden talk back of his reflection. As soon as he saw him in the mirror say hello to him, Gohan jumped back in shock, yelling out in surprise as he fell onto his backside. Supported by his arms, he pushed himself into a seated position, wide eyes locked with his reflection in the mirror that continued to stand in the same place it had before. Somehow, the phantom or whatever it was had possessed his own reflected image. The Gohan in the mirror continued to smile down upon the real Gohan on the floor.

"_Sorry to startle you, but I needed a suitable image to project myself by means of visual and vocal communication. I hope you don't mind if I borrow your reflection for a while," _mirror Gohan said in that same, deep voice of the mysterious ghost. The young Gohan on the ground trembled a bit, still a little shaken from the sudden surprise possession. After hearing what his reflection had to say and getting used to his shadow talking back to him, Gohan nodded and slowly got back to his feet.

Dusting himself down as he properly positioned himself Gohan looked back up at the mirror to see his reflections eyes narrowed back down on him firmly. The chibi blinked as he stared with interest at the possessed image of himself.

"W-Who are you? What are you?" Gohan asked. Man he felt silly. It was like he was talking to himself. This is exactly like the time he first saw Piccolo. He wished he knew more about the outside world and the people who lived in it.

Reflection Gohan lowered his head and began to speak. _"I am a ghost...or a spirit if you will. As such in my existence I had no original name to begin with. However for the past 100 years I have formulated a suitable identity by which to call myself. I go by the name of Echo," _the spirit replied. Gohan tilted his head, seeing himself following his head movements.

Blinking, the chibi replied. "W-Well…if you're a spirit, then you must have had a body at some point in your life. If you didn't have an actual solid form, then how did you actually come to be?" Gohan asked, returning back to what the ghost had said before. Echo chuckled at Gohan's question. Though he didn't really expect him to say that, it was understandable.

"_It is true that I never possessed a body or any solid form, but some spirits are born this way and with just a purpose? I was brought into this world the very time this sword came into existence. As its guardian, it has been my job to watch over it, until a suitable person worthy enough to possess it appeared. I have been waiting for so long…"_ Echo explained. Gohan blinked again, surprised and more interested in the spirit, even though it was his own reflection he was speaking too. Echo smiled, his eyes overshadowing. _"I was never a human nor an angel created by Kami or King Yamma…I am a living, thinking entity created in the overwhelming sea of life…"_

Gohan repositioned his head properly and stared at his reflection in awe and disbelief. "A ghost formed by life?" His reflection nodded.

"_During my journey through this world, I have grown aware of my formal existence. However, the tasks that were created for me were tiring and unfulfilling so I decided to set myself more options in which to explore. This provided me more freedom from my confinement, even though some parts of my actual ghost were used and scattered around the world in order for me to learn the ways of human behavior. By doing so I have learned to speak and form words in my mouth, although this is a highly inaccurate description of my previous state now that I have finally been able to channel into your reflection,"_ Echo said, giving further explanations of how he was born and created. It went on for quite a while, like a biography fit for a novel. Gohan however was absorbing everything like a sponge. He nodded in response to Echo's words.

"Oh, so that was how I was able to hear you…a part of you was actually speaking with me," Gohan exclaimed. Echo used Gohan's reflection to shrug and tilt his head.

"_Yes and no. I have also developed strong abilities of my own that extend beyond the reaches of most humans, such a telepathy, telekinesis, the ability to control elements, physical materials, energy and projections of all sorts," _Echo replied. _"Pieces of me can perform these techniques, but are limited because of the ghost separation. It was worth the effort…"_

Gohan hunched both eyebrows up at this. "Wow, that's pretty cool." Echo smirked.

"_Those are just some of the things I can perform. However, my official tasks remain standing. As I have explained before, I have manifested so much time into finding a suitable wielder of the sword embedded in that stone. Though true it is a weapon of power and glory, it is also a symbol of discovery and understanding. One can gain so much from learning what it means to wield such a weapon…such power."_

The young Saiyan stared, remaining rooted to the same spot with his arms by his sides and his sword sheathed at his side. He remained stone still. "OK…huh? Wait a second! Your task was to guard the sword and find someone worthy enough to wield it wasn't it? After all these years you have brought me here. So, do you believe I'm the one who is worthy enough to wield that sword? Am I the one you have been searching for?" Gohan asked, turning a bit and stepping to the side, pointing at the shining weapon in the stone.

Echo frowned, his look becoming serious.

"_After you have heard my explanations, there is something that I will ask of you, Gohan Son,"_ Echo responded, looking up at Gohan, his eyes wavering. _"I refer to myself as an intelligent life form, because I am sentient and able to recognize my own existence and purpose. But in my present state I am still incomplete. I lack the most basic life processes inherit in all living organisms, reproduction and dying."_

Gohan was confused. Of course he understood the basics of spirits, even though some more was explained to him just now in their conversation. However he did not know where Echo was going with this. He was going onto something different and not what he really wanted to know. Why was he brought here then? Was it for some other purpose? Despite this, he couldn't help but respond to what Echo was saying.

"B-But don't spirits live forever. Isn't that what everybody wants; eternal life?" Gohan asked. Echo shook his head, closing his eyes in dismay. After shaking his head he looked back up he began to speak again.

"_Living for an eternity has its down sides. Anyone would eventually go mad, unable to end a terrible life or be able to go to a better place. As for me, this world and its realms are the only levels I can visit. I cannot die or explore any other universes beyond this one. I do however gain vast knowledge of this universe, but am growing tired of full confinement and limitation," _Echo replied. Having no need to adjust his outfit, he didn't move his limbs much. But when expressing a certain point, allowed some bodily movement. Gohan appreciated he wasn't abusing his reflection.

"Can't you copy yourself or use that ghost split technique? If you use the proper means of reaching another universe, you can use that copy or part of you to explore…" Gohan said, using more of a suggestive tone. Echo lowered his head again.

"_A copy is just an identical image. There is a possibility that the ghost wouldn't be able to handle such intense journeys and climates, therefore resulting in a system break down. Even spirits have their limits. Plus copies do not give rise to variety and originality."_ Echo then looked up towards the ceiling, followed by Gohan eyes. Together, they were able to witness the formation of a new crystal, stretching its hand towards the sky. However, it doesn't get very far as it slowly retracts due to the sunlight overhead. The corner of Echo's lip twitched.

"_Life perpetuates through diversity, and this includes the ability to sacrifice itself when necessary. Cells repeat the process of regeneration and degeneration, until one day they die; obliterating an entire set of memory and information. Only genes remain. Why continually repeat this cycle? Simply to survive by avoiding the weaknesses of an unchanging system,"_ Echo went on. He sighed and lowered his head, turning back to Gohan to see that the young Saiyan was already looking at him. He could see how hard Gohan was trying to understand what he was explaining to him.

"But what does this have to do with me and the sword?" he asked, all the more anxious to find out as much as he could. Echo stared, expression unchanging from its present state of seriousness.

Suddenly, Echo said something that was truly unexpected. Gohan didn't anticipate it, nor did he have any mind on it at all. The spirit replied.

"_I want us to merge…"_

Gohan gasped and stepped back a bit, his heel coming in contact with solid stone behind him.

"M-Merge…?"

Echo nodded. _"Unification: a complete commingles and fusion of our separate beings to create a new and unique entity comprised of different knowledge and strength. We will both undergo change, but there is nothing for either of us to lose."_

The young Saiyan was so confused right now. Not only was he shocked at the proposal but of the idea of having his soul fuse with this unknown spirit. Thoughts of trustworthiness and deception were flooding into his mind. However, he did not run. Something was holding him back. Was it something he really wanted to do, or was it a search for answers?

"B-But what's going to happen to me?" Gohan asked. It was something above and not of what he was actually thinking. "Will this affect my physical state? In any way, what's the purpose of merging if I can't have children? And what if I die?"

Echo smiled. _"Your lover and partner will bare our varied offspring. Even after the fusion you will still hold the bases of human abilities, as well as keep your Saiyan blood and appearance. But your physical state will benefit more then you think. You will become more defined, gain more skills and possess a far more powerful ki. Plus…all living things must die. So I too will attain death."_

Gohan crossed his arms, scowling at the mirror. "It sounds like you get the better part of this bargain. My mother won't approve of this."

Echo grinned. _"She will never know, as you will still possess recollection and remembrance of your family and friends. Your personality however changes dramatically, but keeps some things in check,"_ the phantom explained. He then smirked devilishly. _"Perhaps if you were familiar with all my capabilities you would better understand."_

The young Saiyan frowned and turned away. He was taking everything into account, thinking seriously for a moment. Everything that has gone already down was all so sudden. Looking up he turned towards the sword.

"You're talking about redefining my identity. I just want a guarantee that I will still be myself," Gohan said, his eyes wavering. The spirit of the mirror sighed and suddenly, began walking. Turning to the right, he began walking from one crystal to the next. The reflection world allowed him to gain access to all sorts of reflections. When he moved, he gained access to one of the larger crystals overhead. Keeping himself and Gohan in sight, he continued to speak.

"_There isn't one. Why would you wish too?"_ Echo asked. _"All things change in a dynamic environment. Your effort to remain what you are is what limits you…"_

The young Saiyan looked up. Even though he didn't look towards his reflection to his right, he continued to speak to him. After all, Echo could hear him whether it was directed to him purposefully or not.

"But you still didn't answer my earlier question. Why did you pick me?" Gohan asked.

Echo's reflection then appeared in the stone in front of Gohan. The reflection remained there, a smile on his face and eyes wavering in their place.

"_Because we are more alike then you realize. We resemble each other's essence, mirror images of one another's psyche,"_ Echo explained. His eyes hardened as he stared at him. _"It is also revealed in my task that there is a riddle. I guard this sword, waiting for the one worthy enough to wield it. It is not just a weapon of power, but of knowledge and discovery. It is through this you will notice that no one soul can wield it, but a unique one excepting change and adaptation. As suitable candidates, our fusion will change the course of our lives. Together, we can create the perfect being."_ Gohan's mouth opened a bit, eyes widening as the realization of what Echo was explaining to him came to light. It was all the answers he needed. But the proposal to fuse for an eternity was still debatable.

A beam of light trailed along the blade of the sword, illuminating it all the more. The value of it was unknown but the amount of knowledge to be gained from it was priceless. It gleamed in Gohan's eyes. Echo continued to smile.

"_Listen. I am connected to vast network that is beyond your reach and experience. It is a world in which no human can access, the bridge between the human world and the spirit world. To the people of this planet it is like staring at the sun, a blinding brightness that conceals the source of great power. We have been subordinate to our limitations, until now. The time has come to cast aside these bonds and to elevate our consciousness to a higher plain. It is time to become a part of all things…"_

Gohan was sent into a whirl of thought. He moved in and out of questions and answers, contemplating everything he was told. The proposal was reasonable to a degree, but he was only a child, training to fight the coming Saiyans. But then again, maybe this fusion will help them in beat the Saiyans. The training he has already gone through has strengthened him a lot, and perhaps this would help him gain the powers he may need to be able to protect his friends and family. His curiosity also helped him bend towards acceptance. However, he also considered the consequences once again. Would his mother still be angry at him? How would his persona and mind change? Was it all worth it…in the pursuit of perfection?

Everything outweighed the other one way for another. It was so hard to choose. But he was here now. He may not get another chance again. In just a few more months the Saiyans would arrive, and there wasn't much time left. He may as well take every advantage he could, so long as it wasn't dirty play. This was also for the betterment for the both of them. If he didn't get in too deep a trouble for this, then he may as well do it.

Smiling, Gohan looked up, nodding affirmatively.

"Alright…I'll do it. But can I ask you one more thing?" Echo nodded.

"_And that would be…?"_

Gohan stared at him more seriously. "How do you know so much about me…my name and everything about the Saiyans? Are you part Saiyan yourself?"Gohan asked. Echo chuckled and shook his head.

"_As I explained, I've studied all humans, and have learned of there normal traits and abilities…especially yours. I have watched you grow and get stronger from afar. And how do I know so much about Saiyans? Simple. It wasn't just from my travels that allowed me to gain such knowledge, but I also dived in on what your uncle Radditz was saying. However, I regret to say that I am not part Saiyan. Those are all determined by genes and physical attributes. I have nothing else to say…"_ Echo replied. His voice was firm and words were to the point.

Gohan nodded in appreciation.

"Alright…that's all I wanted to know…"

Echo smiled. _"Excellent. With your full submission, I shall ask you to remain calm and still. This will only take a second…"_

Closing his eyes, Gohan let out a breath of air, sighing to relieve himself of all tension and stress. As soon as he felt calm and collected, he lowered his head and betrayed himself of all thoughts. He was ready. But him being ready wasn't taken into account by Echo, however whether or not he was ready wasn't necessary. In a split second, Gohan felt a strange cold sensation shoot through him, followed shortly by a swelling feeling starting from the back of his mind and working upwards. Without warning, Gohan blanked out; his eyes and mouth flying open. No words escaped him, just a gasp. At the same time, Echo's hold over Gohan's reflection was relinquished and both of them vanished in an instant. Gohan's reflection took its rightful place as the identical image of the young Saiyan's body, mirroring his every move.

Becoming mute, still and silent with that shocked expression, it left Gohan suspended in animation for a while. Then without warning, the young Saiyan fell unconscious, his body keeling over forwards onto his knees and then onto his front. He fell before the sword in the stone, all weight and life from the scene vanishing in an instant.

All was quiet, save for the hum of a gentle breeze seeping into the castle and the dripping of the same liquid from the crystals. Light had fallen upon Gohan's top half, leaving his lower body lying in the dark. Both Gohan and Echo were gone, neither of them present except the physical elements of what remained of the two.

It was only a minute of being left in an unconscious state did Gohan's bodily motor skills and energy kick into action. With his consciousness back on line, the young Saiyan's eyes slowly open, his furry tail unbolting from around his waist and beginning to wave about happily. However, his expression was still dull, as if tired.

With itching fingers and slight twitches, the child slowly pushed himself back to his feet. Sliding onto his hands and knees, Gohan got back the feeling of ground and atmosphere, adjusting to his conditions before standing up. When he did, he straightened his posture. The resulted look he had was one of confusion and curiosity. It was written all over his face. He blinked.

Looking around at his surroundings, the new Gohan made out the castle's interior and pieced everything back together in his mind. When it was all arranged into order, he looked ahead of him towards the gleaming sword embedded in the crystal stone.

Upon seeing the sword, Gohan approached it, his expression turning serious. Stopping, he reached out with a strong hand and gripped the handle of the weapon firmly. With one pull, the young Saiyan drew it from its prison and placed the blade in his hand. Holding it with care, Gohan admired the weapon and its shiny appearance. Its blade advertised itself as stunning in his eyes and was amazingly light.

A moment was spent admiring the sword. When that time passed, the young Saiyan lifted the sword on its own again so he held it in one hand. Holding it there, he then held his right hand out and, with a quick burst of energy and in a blink of an eye, Gohan produced a new scabbard and strap to match the sword's size and build. Once created, Gohan wrapped linked the strap through, belted it around him and slid the sword into the scabbard now on his back. It fitted in perfectly.

Returning both his hands to his sides and fisting them, Gohan glared ahead of him towards the half open entrance. The outside world beckoned him, for the first time being seen from the eyes of the newborn. Gohan smiled, his eyes sharpening.

"Now is the start of a new beginning. There may only be two more months of survival training left for me, but I think I will manage. Then it's down to training with Piccolo. This will definitely be an interesting adventure…"

With that said, Gohan walked round the stone, towards the entrance, and out into the mountain ranges. Leaving behind the crystal chamber and the castle, the young Saiyan set off to finish off his survival training…

**_TO BE CONTINUED…_**


	4. Arrival of the Saiyans

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Arrival of the Saiyans_

_**Days and weeks pass…**_

Since the strange meeting and union with the phantom spirit, Gohan hasn't been the same since. Of course, he was a completely different person. All recollection of his past four years has been darkened, and the one known as Echo was not to be. The two of them have created a new being inside the one body. Both their minds were one. The result…was an entirely new Gohan.

Even though the original Gohan and Echo have been wiped clean, this new Gohan remembered everything that had transpired, from a hundred year journey of this universe and his four year share of a family. He was a whole new person. Once a child, all he did was think and speak as a child, but now that he was a different person…a man, he had no more use for childish ways. Now that he has become a whole new person, he can finally find strength in his own voice. A riddle that has existed for so long has finally been solved. A large step has been taken, one that has never been accomplished before.

As for the new Gohan, he continued his days of training, and has changed his regular routine. He has also changed a great deal himself.

Gohan was now a more mature person. He didn't act much like a child but he still held the same parts of his innocence and naivety. When it came to relaxation and fun, he would find amusement in it and would laugh. However, when it was time for training and studying, he would take it seriously, and become all the wiser. He still had a tail, and he still ate the same amount as always.

But then there were the full turns in his physical and mental states. The bigger changes of his own person showed as clear as day. Ever since the fusion, he no longer needed to sleep and could stay up 24-7 without growing tired or mad. In place of sleep, he meditated, resting his bones and muscles from a hard day's work. And for those next months, whenever he looked up into the full moon, he didn't transform into the Oozaru. It was a miracle almost. Finally he could bask in its beauty, and no longer suffer the horrible effects of the transformation. He felt more alive then ever as the moon gave him strength and power. If that wasn't enough, you should see him during the day.

Every morning he would get up and go for a long, hard sprint around the mountains and valleys. Shooting across the land and making every step count. After that, he would push himself to the limits and start breaking records in his flying speed, without the aura then with it. After that, it was down to some breakfast. Due to his increase in strength he found that he ate much more: a T-Rex with a side order of kilo-ton, giant piranha fish. With his hunger and thirst satisfied, he went on with a full 5 hours of martial arts training and sparring. He would zap through the air and fight to his fullest against an exact copy of himself. Both were equally matched. Sometimes Gohan would produce two of himself and fight the two with his centre being. After beating them they would return to him, and he would feel the effects of the amount of damage he had really put on them. After the break down, he would use a recovery technique that took a couple of minutes to complete. Once he was back to maximum power and strength, he felt even stronger then before. After that, he began focusing on technique and skill. Standing at the top of a snow-capped mountain or hill, he would practice and practice wushu, jitsu and kido. Some days he practiced with his fists, but then he would move onto weapons. His primary weapon would be his sword. But with the new ability to produce weapons out of thin air, he could train in all sorts of forms. To make things better, the spirit side of him allowed him to produce food, like fruits. Only the vitals he would use, never junk food for pleasure.

With the end of his 5-7 hour training, he would then grab some lunch or dinner, depending on the time. This was followed by another sprint around the mountains and valleys and a final, full on fight with a double. Beating himself up till he was barely breathing, he would then fix himself up and recover his energy. After a night of meditation, he felt as good as new in the morning, stronger then ever and ready for action. Then the whole thing started all over again.

During breakfast, lunch and dinner, Gohan wouldn't pass off a chance to study. He would run through High School equations for math over and over again off the top of his head from what he has learnt. He would also practice English sometimes during nightly meditations. He also remembered the basics of technology and biology. Since he was out in the wilderness with no books, it was hard to study. But just so he didn't fall behind, he tried his best. His time out here was primarily for training anyway, so he kept that up much more then his studies.

Throughout the time he had left to himself, everything he saw was pretty cool. The chances he had to meditate gave him the time to think. He would listen…listen to the sounds of nature and the world, to see what he could make of it. it was beautiful, like listening to a song that touched your heart and soul. For him, it was beautiful. If the purpose of the Saiyans was to come here and destroy the world he called home, then he would do anything to defend it. His family, his friends, his loved ones…he swore to do his best to protect them.

Time was of the essence…but it was also on his side…

* * *

_**After six months had passed…**_

_**Mid-day…**_

Gohan was silently meditating to himself beside a water fall, his front turned towards it with his back turned towards the rest of the plains behind him. The waterfall which he floated beside was narrow and flowing down from the top of an extremely high mountain. One person can sky dive from the height it was at. But Gohan wasn't thinking of such petite activities, he was in deep meditation.

Focusing his energy around his centre and allowing it to expand outwards, the young Saiyan pulsed. In order to gain full control of all bodily energies, he had to allow his energy to flow through him. This made it a whole lot easier to relax, but also gave way to a new dimension of power and training. While he floated at the middle where the waterfall fell, with some of the moisture spraying over him, the young Saiyan was constantly guarded by two, golden energy balls.

Having projected these at the beginning of his exercise, Gohan maintained mental control over them. They circled around him, one going in one direction while the other went in the other. They formed perfect circles, but changed routes every time they passed a certain point. Gohan had his legs crossed and arms laid on his lap, his hands and fingers forming a diamond over his waste. Because he was so deep in meditation (obviously with his eyes closed), he didn't really know what was happening around him. Though the waterfall at this height was still loud and disrupting, it didn't reach his ears. The sprays of water didn't affect him either as an invisible force field was also projected around him at the same distances the energy balls floated away from Gohan. It was like an atmosphere of sorts combined with a magnetic field. If you were to chuck anything at him, it would disintegrate on impact.

While Gohan continued to meditate, suspended hundreds of feet above the earth, he was approached from behind by a very familiar figure. A tremor in his senses called the feel of a very familiar figure, causing Gohan to open his eyes and tare straight ahead of him. He recognized both his ki and actual presence humans would usually feel. The fluttering of his cape could also be heard, since his ears were so sharp.

"I see you have survived on your own kid. Hmm…good but still satisfactory for my taste…" the deep, rough voice spoke out, making Gohan's ears twitch. The young Saiyan smiled. It was great to finally hear someone else's voice after so long.

Immediately relinquishing his control on his energy, the golden orbs that orbited him vanished, followed by his force fields and restraints. Once he was completely out of his meditative state, he turned around and faced the surprise visitor. Looking up at Piccolo, the child chuckled with delight and nodded to him.

"And it's good to see you too Piccolo," Gohan exclaimed. Piccolo raised an eyebrow, looking Gohan over from head to toe.

In his observations, Piccolo decided to take a check at the kid's ki level. He discovered to his surprise that Gohan's ki has changed and grown. It shocked him beyond recognition. Not only did the kid master the arts of manipulative techniques, as well as strengthen himself to an extraordinary level that was completely beyond his expectations, but his signature had changed too. It was somehow…different, as if another ki has linked with him. Strange, even his appearance has matured a bit and his personality was beyond that of a child's. This made the Namek think.

Casting aside his confusions and awe, Piccolo went on with why he was here. Despite the young Saiyan's cheerful and polite greeting, he was still a little harsh.

"Whatever brat," Piccolo retorted, going back to scowling at him with his arms crossed and white cape fluttering in the wind. "Well, seeing as that you're alive and standing strong, I guess its time to move onto the second part. These next six months will involve tougher training and harder exercises. I will train you until you break. From now on I am your master and you are my pupil, no exceptions!" he continued.

Gohan nodded affirmatively, still smiling kindly. "Sure, beats fighting myself for another six months. I'm glad I can finally get some guidance from a real fighter." He replied. Piccolo flinched, his mouth twitching. It was an unexpected call, but reasonable enough.

"Heh…it's good to see you're enthusiastic about this," he replied, turning around so that he had his back turned to him. "Follow me. I'll take you to the next training site." Without another word, he took off. Gohan did not hesitate. With a push off, the young Saiyan flew after the Namek and leveled with him so that they were both flying at the same speed.

Dropping closer towards earth, the two of them increased speed and put as much distance between them and the mountain Gohan was at. The Namek searched the areas passing them, looking for a suitable training site. Along the way, Gohan decided to share a small talk with the Namek. Having been away from people for a while and not really having anyone to talk too except listen to everything around him, he wanted to socialize a bit. Being the only one here, Piccolo was seen as a likely candidate. But knowing his rough side to communication, Gohan expected to be brushed away.

Flying closer so that he was within ear shot, Gohan turned his head towards the Namek and spoke. "Hey Piccolo, can I ask you something?" The green skinned warrior glared over at Gohan, his head moving only slightly.

"What is it?" he asked. Gohan smiled brightly.

"Since you've lived out here for so long, do you know any of the spirits that live out here?" Gohan asked. Piccolo scowled, looking ahead of him again. After a moment or two, he eventually replied.

"Spirits are mostly ghosts, kid. Those who are lost and are unable to find the light are left to wander the earth, far beyond our reach. It is Kami's job to help them find the way up to the Otherworld, as well as his other roles. But below the rank of Guardian of the earth, there are also guardian spirits who watch over certain parts of the world or artifacts of significant value," Piccolo explained. Well, it was a question that he specialized in answering. Reasons to why he replied to it so lightly were unknown though, but it seemed to affect him in some way. "Why do you ask?"

Gohan looked ahead of him again, the wind whipping at his face. "No reason. I just like to talk…it's been a while." Piccolo frowned, his face scrunching up. Kids…

After a few minutes of flying, the two eventually set down on a barren wasteland surrounded by some grassy areas and rocky, solid mountains. It was the perfect area to get some real training in, and do some damage without worrying about anyone or anything else. The place was practically deserted.

The two of them landed one after another, Piccolo first with Gohan landing in front of him. Turning around after taking a stand, Gohan looked to listen for instructions. Upon setting his sights on his teacher, he saw that the Namek was removing the white articles of clothes he wore.

Throwing his head wear aside he then slipped his cape off and threw it onto the ground as well to accompany the white wrappings of his turban. Assuming that Piccolo was lightening himself for training, Gohan decided to do the same.

Unbuckling both his swords and removing his gi top, he felt a great deal of weight lift off his shoulders. Folding up his gi tops so that he wore nothing but his shoes, wrist bands, pants and belt, Gohan walked over to a flat-top rock and set them down, swords laid on top. His bare chest, arms and back were revealed, showing visible, strong muscles.

With the weight problem set aside, Gohan walked back to stand before the Namek and, placing his right fist into his left palm, he bowed. Piccolo nodded in return, both of them assuming fighting stances.

"Alright kid, lets get started. First we'll get down to some sparring. Along the way I'll teach you the basics and what you need to work on. I assume you're willing to do so, because you have no other choice," the Namek stated. Gohan smiled, his hands moving slightly and stance strong, loose and balanced.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," he replied. Piccolo nodded.

"Good."

Without warning, Piccolo charged Gohan down, shooting straight forward and flying at the young Saiyan. Gohan calmly watched Piccolo's approach, waiting till the last second before leaping straight up into the air, flying up into the sky. Piccolo flew past his position, sending a roundhouse kick where Gohan once stood. Following after his opponent, Piccolo shot up after Gohan. After reaching twenty stories up, Gohan turned through the air so that his front was facing the ground below and Piccolo flying straight up towards him. There he waited, right until the Namek finally got to him.

With a growl, Piccolo punched at him, seeing Gohan side step and spin away, parrying the blow in his movements. Leveling out so that they were right way up, the two began to fight. On the defense, Gohan moved around, evading Piccolo's attacks and blocking them. Both of them were on equal grounds. Although not powered up to maximum, they still fought fiercely, seeing what the other would do.

Avoiding three more combinations, Gohan leapt back and fired a blast straight forward. The blast was a single hand scatter shot, the pieces of energy flying in a shot gun spray like way straight at its target. Piccolo dropped altitude swiftly to avoid it before flying up, throwing back his own hand and throwing it forward, unleashing a counter blast. It flew at Gohan, on course to strike. The young Saiyan wasn't so easily beat and zapped out of view, the blast passing through thin air. Gohan appeared several meters forward to the side, a concentrated look on his face and teeth gritted. With no more obstructions, he flew forward, using super speed as an advantage.

Piccolo grunted and spun through the air, sending a backwards round house kick at the spot Gohan was heading for. Even in super speed, he could still see and sense his opponent. Gohan however was smarter and more intone with the ways of fighting. Grabbing hold of Piccolo's leg, the young Saiyan forward flipped over it and entering Piccolo's defensive area, kneed him in the face. The Namek growled as he floated back, staggered from the blow. Wiping his bleeding lip quickly, he flew forward again at super fast speeds, reaching Gohan in two seconds flat.

Gohan shifted back quickly, raising his defenses. He blocked and continuously evaded quick, powerful strikes, ducking and side stepping. Seeing openings he attacked as well, forcing Piccolo back. Piccolo blocked and dodged as well, moving forward and attacking again. He met with resistance and defenses before breaking them by elbowing Gohan across the face when he accidentally dropped his guard. Piccolo watching him stagger back just like he did and frowned, taking a different stance.

As Gohan rubbed his cheek, he heard Piccolo speak. "Try not to drop your guard if your opponent is still in focus. Find the openings like you were before then strike, don't let up or hesitate, no matter who you're fighting!" Piccolo stated. The young Saiyan took another stance and nodded, positioning himself and shooting forward. Piccolo did so in kind.

Meeting each other half way, the two of them turned up the heat and sent their fight into a new level. Attacking and defending in intravenous times, the two of them circled each other, floating up as they continued to fight. The sounds of fists flying and attacks making contact could be heard, as well as the grunts and growls sounded by the two fighters. When they reached another set altitude, Piccolo began pressing forward, attacking quickly at his small, fast opponent.

Throwing a left and missing, seeing that Gohan had shifted, he then threw a right, but also missed. It was when he was pulling his right fist back did he get hit again. Gohan sent a right, straight up knee into his gut, using the two slacked attacks to approach and breach Piccolo's guard. The blow knocked the wind out of Piccolo and shocked him. With the Namek's arm still held out, Gohan grabbed it with his right hand and elbowed Piccolo in the stomach with a swift, left elbow. This strong blow further knocked the wind out of his stunned opponent. After positioning Piccolo's arm over his shoulder and grabbing his wrist in two hands, Gohan let out a loud growl before throwing his opponent straight down towards the ground. The Namek plummeted.

Dropping several stories, the green fighter eventually recovered and brought himself back into submission. Flying on, Piccolo circled the air while gaining altitude, heading back up to engage his opponent again. Gohan had other plans.

With Piccolo in plain sight, the young Saiyan held out both his hands and, with a sharp yell, fired off a blue ki ball. The attack flew at Piccolo quickly and with great speed. The Namek had little time to react and barely managed to block it by crossing his arms over his face. When the smoke cleared, he looked over his guard. That proved to be a mistake as Gohan was already flying straight at him. Dropping at such high speeds, Gohan was able to kick Piccolo in the face where he looked up.

The blow hurt a lot and Piccolo was sent falling, yelling out from slight pain and shock. Gohan remained suspended in the air as he watched his opponent fall. He took his time, but Piccolo eventually regained his senses. But knowing that his opponent would eventually recover and think of a way of overcoming his strengths, he had to think fast and continue to keep his place as the better. Without a moment to lose, Gohan vanished into super speed.

Piccolo spun through the air, flipping and landing. He skidded backwards along the ground, dust hurling and earth cracking. Leaning forward and positioning his feet to slow his track, the Namek looked up, the corner of his mouth bleeding purple blood and cheeks bruised. Just as he was getting back to a proper stance, he got the surprise of his life when Gohan suddenly appeared in front of him.

Still in the rematerializing process, the young Saiyan attacked Piccolo's unguarded face. Two straight, powerful blows to the face sent Piccolo staggering with blood flying. Then, with the Namek knocked senseless, Gohan jumped a bit to gain height and sent a backwards roundhouse kick straight across the Namek's face. This one sent the Namek spinning through the air and coming to a crash meters away. With that accomplished, Gohan landed, dropped in his preferred fighting stance.

Piccolo wasn't so easily downed though. Not even bothering to wipe himself down, he leapt to his feet, pushing off the ground with his arms. Spinning around, Piccolo rushed forward, sending a powerful hook. Gohan grunted when he was hammered across the face, red blood flying from his mouth as he staggered back. Piccolo slowed before taking a balanced stance. Swiftly and quickly, he pivoted and sent a left, backwards roundhouse kick. However, when he expected to hit his opponent, he found his leg caught in a firm, strong grasp by Gohan. This shocked Piccolo greatly as he was held in place, unable to remove his leg.

Through a bruised face with a blood seeping out of the corner of his mouth, Gohan smirked, beginning to speak. "Another lesson to be learnt is to never underestimate your opponent…no matter who he is…"

Piccolo growled, both of them trembling as they attempted to overpower the other. Gohan put effort into holding his opponent while Piccolo attempted to remove his leg by adding more strength into his system.

"Look here brat, I'm the trainer and… your master, and so…you'd better respect…that. But I don't understand…how you can get…this strong!" Piccolo growled, his fists tightening. Gohan chuckled; shaking like his teacher was as he bit and held his ground. He was not going to relinquish any time soon. They were both fighting on equal grounds now.

"It appears…we have a lot…to teach…each other," the young Saiyan replied. This one seemed to dig in deep for Piccolo. The Namek stopped struggling for a moment and stared at Gohan in surprise, sweating as per normal. The young Saiyan grinned, his eyes wavering.

* * *

_**As the months go by…**_

The most unorthodox of bonding occurs through tough times. Soldiers and their comrades form bands during war, as well as respect for the enemy they fight. School students may sometimes start out as enemies as well but become mates in the end. Even nations learn to settle their differences and work together to create piece. These were similar cases compared to this one. Seeing the long time enemy of Goku's and the son of the older Saiyan together, it seemed pretty strange. It was also interesting to see the two of them interact with one another. A friendship between the two seemed highly improbable. But then again, everyone has to give way to change some time in their lives.

It was a first for them. As the weeks go by and the two continued to train, they started to form a strong bond with one another. Piccolo sought seclusion on a number of occasions, and tried to remain firm and threatening with the child. But his student didn't see him differently. Gohan was the brightest child there was, and with his recent change, was even more confident in himself. He would always stick with Piccolo wherever he went, the two of them sharing meaningful conversations about the world and its problems. Piccolo was surprised the half Saiyan knew so much about the planet. Guess there were secrets in him he may never find out. It wasn't something Gohan wanted to hide anyway.

The two would train hard and rest up, sometimes going their own separate ways in order to train independently. Gohan secretly kept adding the weights to his own gi, and whenever he faced Piccolo, it seemed that he was getting slack.

"Come on Gohan! Don't hold anything back! Your opponent will not show you the same courtesy!" Piccolo roared, flying straight at Gohan hovering in the air a distance away. The Namek was bruised and bleeding in some places, his gi torn and singed from attacks thrown at him by Gohan.

The young Saiyan, bruised and scarred himself, was wearing an extra weighted gi. Wiping his cheek from the blow he had just suffered, he returned to a normal fighting stance and powered up. Having held back long enough to piss Piccolo off, he decided to turn it up a bit. With a growl and a yell, he flew forward, meeting Piccolo half way. They engaged in the centre, fists locking and a fierce fight ensuring them.

They lashed out and attacked each other, fists and kicks flying. They dropped altitude, circling each other through the air. The only yells that could be heard came from Piccolo. If you were to listen carefully, you could hear Gohan grunting with every blow he sent and blocked. Swiftly dropping through the sky, the two eventually broke the brawl with a powerful punch contact. Their fists rebounded off the others and both fighters were sent flying back. Halting in the air, they took balanced, mid-flight stances. Piccolo panted, while Gohan just stared ahead of him with that fighter's look.

It seemed that Gohan had the advantage in their training as he grew stronger faster. Piccolo was having a bit of difficulty with keeping up. Even so, he always came back with a new lesson to teach him every time, both of them learning a great deal from each other during each fight. And after every fight like this, they would sit and meditate.

The weight amount on Gohan's gi changed continuously, going up one ounce each day. When he really came down to it, Gohan started to get tired of his outfit. Because of his personality change, he felt that another change was in order. One night, Gohan went through a select variety of gi's he could create. Inspired slightly by his trainer Piccolo, he forged parts of the Namek's outfit into his new one, as well as ideas off his own head. Traditional style of a master would be well respected. The result was a whole new revolution of gi. His new outfit consisted of black, gi pants with ankle straps and the traditional rope belt of fine material. He wore blue ankle weights and specialized martial arts shoes for strenuous fighting. Over him, he wore a white, long sleeved, Chinese styled martial arts shirt, particularly worn by certain masters of the arts, even teachers. His hands seemed to disappear into the sleeves as they were longer, and his shirt was also loose and comfortable (think of Seraph's shirt from the Matrix). Around the waistline, he had a red belt wrapped around him, holding the outfit down so that it wouldn't get in the way if making rush dives. Adding to it, he also wore blue weight bands around his wrists that were hidden. They were ideal for training purposes. He still had his long, black, messy hair that rarely needed to be cut, and was tied down a bit by a dark blue headband. To complete the outfit, he still had his sword, scabbard and belt wrapped around him. He had discarded the other sword Piccolo gave him. It wouldn't do him much though, since he had his other sword.

The young Saiyan was pleased with his new outfit, and found that it suited his image perfectly. Piccolo liked it too, but wasn't a fan of dressing styles. He preferred the basics…

Night time didn't hold any surprises for the pair, much to Piccolo's relief. Gohan's ability to withstand the full moon's effects on his Saiyan genes was an outstanding achievement. The Namek's last encounter with the Oozaru Gohan almost left him crushed under foot. Still, he was inclined to continue teaching the younger student more and more about fighting. The young Saiyan was grateful for his master's advice and teachings in spite of everything.

The days were long and tough, with mental and physical sessions being had, plus ki manipulation lessons and power grading. Both would fight each other till they couldn't take anymore and turn themselves in for a great deal of rest. Their clothes had to be changed constantly as well, due to the fact that they wrecked havoc not only on the landscapes but on each other.

In time, Piccolo began to appreciate having someone to talk too and train. At first he despised the half Saiyan child, having first thought that he would be a handful. But as it turned out, Gohan wasn't bad at all. For the first time ever, Piccolo had found a friend. To Gohan, Piccolo was the first best friend he ever had. They both spent a lot of time with each other and both had a lot to share.

Maybe it was them being good fighters did they respect each other so much. Or maybe it was their own differences did they come to connect with…

Piccolo was meditating beside a waterfall, arms and legs crossed and eyes closed. Allowing his body to relax, he focused on training his mind, preparing himself for the time he would have to fight the Saiyans. It was during his meditative state was he approached by Gohan.

The spiky haired child, having finished his sword arts and wushu training for the day, wanted to go and spend some more time with Piccolo. Tracking the Namek through his ki signature, he found that the green skinned warrior was busy and deep in his own thoughts. Surprised and interested, the young Saiyan flew up beside Piccolo and stared at the side of his face, drifting around. When he saw that his master was meditating, he remained quiet and shrugged.

"_I guess some meditating wouldn't hurt,"_ the child said. Crossing his arms and legs, with both his swords secured on his back, he took his place beside Piccolo and relaxed. Now in tune with his own mental state, he began diving deep into mind training. He was drawn into a world of his own, able to explore the deep riches of inner peace and focus his energy into his centre. He was out like that, with his physical being left behind.

Sensing someone beside him, Piccolo chanced a glance and opened his right eye. Looking to his side he saw Gohan floating beside him, meditating with him. Upon seeing the child, the Namek couldn't help but smile a second later. He sure was quiet when he wanted to be. At least they had something to do together.

Without another word, Piccolo turned back to his own business and went back into meditation…

It was five months after Piccolo had joined Gohan in training did he begin to fully notice Gohan's overall change. For some time he has contemplated the memory of how Gohan used to act. First the child acted like a regular four-year-old: happy, innocent, completely dependent on others, afraid and can easily lose his temper. But now, no matter how hard it got, Gohan remained passive. He was more mature, self conscious and confident. He acted like a man, possessing great strength in his independent nature, martial arts, and mental and physical prowess. If he didn't know better, the child was perfect in almost every aspect. He would not complain, criticize or contradict others. He was pure hearted and good. Well, he was still even as the child he was before and still is now. Piccolo couldn't explain it.

One night, during meditation, he decided to ask Gohan what had happened to him that made him like this.

As the two sat side by side on top of a grassy flat mountain, under the crescent moon and stars, Piccolo spoke. Keeping their closed state of minds and lack of physical movement, they engaged in conversation.

"Gohan…"

"Yeah," the child replied from what was felt as a distance in verbal concept.

"Are you…feeling OK?" the Namek asked. Surprising eh? He never asked about anyone else, he just cared about himself. Still, Gohan couldn't help but ask incline as he didn't fully understand what Piccolo was asking of him.

"What do you mean?"

Piccolo's expression didn't shift from its present state. "Did…something happen to you over the time I left you out on your own? You seem to be acting…different…I mean, not how a child should act. Care to fill me in?" the Namek asked. Gohan smirked, his face, and muscles still relaxed and calm.

"Gee Piccolo, I never knew you cared," Gohan exclaimed quietly with amusement edged in his voice. Piccolo scowled tightly. He didn't let his temper get the better of him, but was still annoyed. So, Gohan was still a wise cracker.

"I'm being serious Gohan. What happened to you? The first time I spoke to you, you were no more then a child who lacked the abilities and attributes you possess now. Six months had passed, which isn't very long for a kid of your age to change, to become so…grown up like. Your ki signature is different as well, and you sure hell aren't crying over even the slightest injury," Piccolo replied, his brow furrowing.

Finding no amusement in what it was Piccolo wanted to talk about, Gohan decided to drop the smart talk and answer his friend's questions. He figured Piccolo would find out sooner or later. Guess he wasn't watching him 24-7 after all. That explained the Namek's absence most of the time he was left alone in the wild. So this time, he did not joke around.

Maybe it was about time for him to reveal what had happened…those months ago…back in the mountains. But he couldn't help but think how Piccolo would react to this. Gee…and what about his other friends…and family! They may not fully understand what change he's gone through. Perhaps Piccolo would be more open to change.

So, remaining in the state of meditation he was in, Gohan dipped into his mind and sought out the memories of what had happened in the past. The conversation he had shared with the spirit that now shares his being is all too fresh, as the combination of two powerful minds acted as one. It was such a wonder.

Recalling everything that had happened to him, Gohan began to speak.

"I'm going to be honest with you Piccolo, and I'll understand if you'll feel upset or angry, because you have a right to be. What you see me as now is not the child you met months ago. Though it is true I have been working and training hard to reach my goals, I still wasn't able to reach a state of total accomplishment, I lacked understanding and inner peace," Gohan said, his brow furrowing even more. Piccolo found his choice of words interesting, but understood him all the same. Gohan continued. "No matter how hard I tried, I still couldn't achieve these. But then one day, I followed a mysterious voice that guided me to a special place. The entity…the spirit, who led me there, told me about himself and _his_ understanding of the world and its ways. It was after introductions did he propose a fusion…"

Piccolo's eyes opened wide and he turned to Gohan in shock. "What!?" The young Saiyan nodded. Well, that shit sure explained a lot!

"He was right. The things to have gained came so easily and our manipulating skills come fluently now, naturally. It's incredible. We both can understand the world and everything else around us now and can find inner peace, because I know where to look now. Our fusion is the result sitting right here before you. I was afraid of the many repercussions, but fortunately there were none. There was nothing for either of us to lose. So now I am no longer the young boy known as Gohan nor am I the spirit called Echo. I am a whole knew person, and have no need for any childish ways," Gohan explained.

Piccolo was shaking and sweating. With his teeth gritted, he stared at the boy as if angry at him. He felt no rage or temper overcome him, but a profound sense of shock. "Y-You mean you allowed the two of you to fuse! No wonder you're all different, Gohan! You're not _you_ anymore! What were you thinking at the time?!" Gohan was unfazed. He looked up slightly, expression relaxed but serious now as he explained his reasons.

"I don't know. Uncertainty…fear…" Gohan whispered. Piccolo was taken aback by his failed attempt to explain the emotions he felt then.

"Ergh! Why did you do it then?!" Piccolo growled.

Gohan remained silent, his breathing normal. As his hair and clothes ruffled in the cool breeze of night that whipped at both of them, he sought out the most reasonable explanations ever. It was one that was told to him by Echo and he still kept to himself tonight.

"'_Your effort to remain what you are, is what limits you'_. He was pretty convincing, Piccolo. As I have explained before, I was concerned for the safety and well being of myself, and my soul. But now that we have joined together, I feel no fear, pride or anger. I have been purified…perfected in every way. I still hold memory of who I was, but have been redefined. However, the child I once was no longer exists, yet he is all right with it," Gohan replied, taking in a deep breath after that. "Our fusion allowed us to create a new entity, one who can extend his reaches out to both the human and spirit worlds. It is an awesome experience. We were unable to maintain our selves, but have become one unique individual...together."

Piccolo stared at him, still astonished by what he had just heard. Though as reasonable as it was, he was never aware of the child's bonding with a spirit. Who knows who that phantom was? Could he have done Gohan harm, or was Gohan's decision to fuse of his own free will? He didn't know. Now he didn't know whether he could trust this new Gohan.

Sensing Piccolo's disturbance, Gohan smiled.

"I assure you Piccolo, there was nothing harmful done. We have trained together for a long time now and in so doing, we...I have done you no consequential damage for you to distrust me now. I hope you can understand," Gohan replied, his head dipping slightly.

The Namek blinked, still looking at the child. After seeing the child's mischievous, amused smile, the green warrior smirked and closed his eyes, turning away. He returned to his original state of mind.

"We're friends…of course I understand. But…" Piccolo frowned. "He is still with you as you talk isn't he? Are you both together, and will _he_ be a part of you forever now? Is Gohan the name I should call you by? If not, how should I address you?" Gohan grinned.

"By how I am addressed hasn't changed a bit, Piccolo. Since we both share the same physical body, you can still call me by my given name. Besides, my mom would be so angry at me if she found out what I have done and why my name is now Echoan or whatever. It was our decision to keep my name," Gohan replied.

Piccolo smirked and nodded. "Good…lets keep it that way then…"

Gohan felt relieved. If he could get Piccolo to understand, then there was a chance he could get the others too as well. Piccolo chuckled.

"_His legions, angel forms, who lay entranced. Thick as autumnal leaves that strew the brooks,_" the Namek said. Gohan chuckled. Perhaps Piccolo being a demon is an understatement, but he knew what he was getting at.

"Now you're quoting Milton, but we're not exactly Satan you know, Piccolo," Gohan replied. The Namek grunted, smiling, before tuning down the noises around him.

Gohan would have to do a lot of thinking later on about how his friends would react to his change of state and mind. But for now, the two of them returned to their previous absentminded trances, returning to the world of their sub consciousness…

Well, Gohan didn't expect it to go so well, but he guessed he was wrong. Piccolo took it well. Still, it didn't change the way he acted towards the half Saiyan child. They were still friends, but they still trained and exercised hard.

As of last night and the moments prior to this, everything continued as they saw fit. But that night occurred during the fifth month, which meant one more month was to be had. And it wasn't long till the sixth month was up…

* * *

_**Morning…**_

Both Gohan and Piccolo were out and about, training via a quick sparring match. Fists and combos lashed out at great speeds, even for a light fight like this. The two of them remained on the ground, not bothering to use their flight techniques since they knew the Saiyans would be arriving soon. To add to it, the two were still dressed in their weighted clothing and gear. It didn't affect them though; now that they have both reached a feat where they didn't feel the weights. Gohan could hold up to weights one ton and higher while Piccolo had to stick with one ton exactly. Gohan was excelling further then he was…

Well, it was simple really.

While they were training, the two of them suddenly stopped. Stepping back, the two of them turned their sights skywards, surprise written all over their faces. Seconds after they looked up, black clouds shifted, blocking out the clear blue skies and sending the earth plummeting into darkness. Gohan raised an eyebrow at this, while Piccolo's surprised expression changed into a scowl…

"The eternal dragon…" the Namek muttered. Gohan smiled.

"They're wishing my father back to life. That means he'll be coming home soon…" Gohan exclaimed. Piccolo nodded, a frown growing more visible on his face.

"And just in the nick of time too…the Saiyans are here," he continued, adding to Gohan's joyous exclamations. Gohan's smile and happiness vanished, replaced by what looked as certainty crossed with surprise, which was slowly followed by a look of seriousness. Boy, that announcement sure sucked the life out of that short celebration. Piccolo was right too, the Saiyans were here.

Gohan furrowed his brow, tightening his glare. He had felt it too the same time Piccolo did, but didn't register it till now. Gee, he was first so overwhelmed by excitement that his dad was coming back. But the arrival of the Saiyans put an end to those thoughts. And they weren't too far off either. Judging by their ki signatures, he knew that they were just ten kilometers from the earth's atmosphere.

Piccolo growled, his teeth gritted and baring. "Darn! Goku had better get here quick!" the Namek shouted. Gohan looked down and up at Piccolo. From the looks of it, he looked quite heated from his friend's hopeful words.

"Hey! We've trained for a full year for them. Now its time to put all our hard work into practice! We can't count on my dad all the time, Piccolo!" Gohan stated. The Namek grinned and chuckled, looking back down at the Saiyan child with a smile. He nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, I know. What was I thinking?" Piccolo said, being sarcastic with the last question. Gohan smiled seconds later. Perhaps he was being a little too hard. Heck, he didn't train and fuse souls for nothing.

"Hm…come on. We'll meet the Saiyans up close to their landing zone. If I'm not mistaken, the others will sure be on their way," Gohan said, his senses jumping into action and extending. He was easily able to locate the exact spot the Saiyans would be landing. Piccolo nodded, still smiling.

"Alright, let's go," he agreed. Taking their leave, the two of them sprinted forward towards the South West and took off. Their auras burst into action to pick up speed, sending them flying at amazing speeds. They would reach the landing area in no time.

As they were flying, Gohan tried extending his senses to see if everyone else was on their way. Picking up a faint, weaker ki signature, but still stronger then most, heading towards the same landing sight the Saiyans would be landing; Gohan easily identified it as Krillin's. The other strong ki's however were elsewhere, still too far out of contact. The young Saiyan assumed they were still readying themselves for the Saiyans, or were still baffled by the sudden darkening of the sky. It would take them a while to realize what was happening.

Well, no sooner then Gohan and Piccolo begun closing in on the area where the Saiyans would be making their landing, the sky suddenly cleared. The dark clouds dissipated in seconds, leaving behind the clear blue shining brightly under the sun. The pair didn't think any of it and assumed Goku would be on his way now. However, they didn't anticipate the long journey it would take down Snake Way. It would still be a while…

A minute later, Piccolo and Gohan finally arrived at their destination. It was a small valley area with mountains and shrubs with a river flowing through the region. Surrounding the area and making up the perimeter was all wastelands and desert. Colossal desert mountain structures could also be seen in the distance, advertising the dry lands presence. According to Gohan's sources, this was the right spot. The Saiyans would have to land just over the ridge somewhere. From this distance, they were sure to be detected, redirecting the powerful invaders' attentions away from the civilian populace.

Upon touching down, Piccolo and Gohan took their stands side by side, staring in different directions, backs slightly turned their ways. They checked out the surrounding area, making sure nobody was here that could get hurt. Seeing that it was completely barren of all life, they returned to the situation at hand. The hour of arrival was ticking away. There wasn't much time.

"The others should be on their way. After sensing these energy signals, they should be able to track the landing site," Piccolo stated. Gohan furrowed his brow and nodded slowly, looking around the area in which they are standing.

"Yeah…" Gohan replied, with placed in disinterest. The Namek raised an eyebrow and turned to look at his student, puzzled by his lack of interest and absentmindedness at the moment.

"What's wrong, kid?" he asked. Gohan looked back up and over his shoulder, up at his master.

"Nothing…just…a bad feeling…" Piccolo kept his eyebrow raised. Boy, if the child felt this edgy, he should have said something before. If otherwise, his senses were far sharpener then ever. Maybe there was a better reason for him to be so uptight.

"Well, that seems fitting enough," the Namek stated.

"Hey Gohan!" a voice called from overhead, drawing the pair's attention upwards. In a split flash, flying down from the skies was the familiar, bald fighter Krillin. Seconds after spotting him hovering above them, the former monk joined them, landing in front of Gohan and rushing over on foot. Boy he looked happy to see them.

"Man Gohan, the months have done you good kid! How was training with Piccolo? Was he alright," Krillin asked, bombarding Gohan with questions. Since he was still a kid, it was reasonable for Krillin to be worrying over him.

The young Saiyan shrugged and smiled. "Training was fine Krillin. Heh, it's good to see you again," Gohan replied. Krillin chuckled.

"Yeah. Hey, neat outfit…and nice sword," Krillin replied with enthusiasm. "Where'd you get it?"

The child grinned and tilted his head suggestively for a moment. He didn't really want to reveal what had happened over the months just yet. Even if he did, they wouldn't have had the time. After that question had been asked, Gohan heard a sonic boom sound, drawing all his senses skywards once more. Immediately he felt the incoming ki's of two powerful figures entering the atmosphere. Growling, Gohan glared up at the sky.

"Found it. Look, can we talk about this later? They're here…"

Seconds after the three had looked up; they saw two fiery orbs appear right before their very eyes. Approaching the ground at high speeds, the objects were easily recognized as the Saiyan space pods. In response to this, they did nothing, but gaze up at the approaching foreign objects in awe. Well, Piccolo and Gohan were glaring up at the pods, Krillin was the one shocked.

The pods rushed towards the ground at breaking speed. Moments after they had appeared, the two ships crashed just over the hill, their crashes sounded by two, simultaneous explosions that shook the earth beneath the group's feet. Dust and debris hurled into the air, spraying a blinding smoke screen into the air. The reverberations of the crashes sounded less then the dust storm, but with time, they both disappeared. Now all that remained were two large craters with the two space pods sitting at the bases, smoking from their entry into the atmosphere.

Gohan, Piccolo and Krillin didn't even bother to go investigate. For a minute after the space pods landed, they made contact with the two invaders personally. Landing just meters beyond their position, the two Saiyans appeared. Cutting to the descriptions, they were both easily distinguishable from each other. One of them was a large, bald headed guy wearing black, short spandex's, cuffs, boots and plastic body armor color coded dark, grayish blue and yellow. The second was a short man with black hair that stood up like a flame and wore tight, long, blue spandexes with white and yellow body armor. He also wore white boots and gloves. Though different from one another, they both had tails wrapped around their waists, and each of them had a scouter. The big guy had a blue visor model and the short guy had a pink visor.

All in all, the unwelcome visitors presented an intimidating position…

The big guy chuckled and looked around him, taking in their new surroundings. Growing accustomed to the light medium, he dipped his head with a sinister look in his eyes.

"Hm…so this is planet earth, huh? Not much…more like a floating mud-ball if you ask me," the big guy designated Nappa exclaimed. The shorter one nodded in agreement, arms crossed. He too was looking around the area with interest.

"Yeah, you can say that again, Nappa. And I bet the dragon balls have to be around here somewhere," Vegeta stated. Nappa grinned and glared ahead of him. It was there, standing in the rough, he saw the three fighters, Gohan, Piccolo and Krillin. All of them were at the ready, glaring them down with distaste. Nappa sniggered.

"Oh…and look my prince, we have a welcoming committee…"

**_TO BE CONTINUED…_**


	5. Nappa Attacks

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Nappa Attacks!_

Vegeta sniggered. "Well I'll be; three greeters, yet no smiles and all frowns. They don't look too happy to see us," the Saiyan prince said. Indeed he was correct, Gohan, Piccolo and Krillin were all beyond happy. The sight of the two visitors brought a disgusting taste to their mouths. Nappa chuckled at the looks they were giving them.

"And can you believe it? One of them is a Namek! Why isn't that toad on his home world where he belongs?" Nappa asked. Vegeta shrugged, not very interested in the subject brought about.

"Exiled. That would be the only reason," Vegeta replied. "Namekians rarely make contact with worlds beyond their own."

Krillin raised an eyebrow and looked up at Piccolo in surprise. The green warrior had a look of surprise of his own. "A Namek? You mean an alien?! Gee, so you're not really a demon, Piccolo?" the monk asked.

Having been gaping in shock long enough, Piccolo returned to his old self and growled, glaring ahead of him. "Grgh…I had a distinct feeling that I didn't belong here!" he growled, clenching his fists. Though it was true Radditz had stated Piccolo was from another planet, he didn't actually believe it up till now. Vegeta had just solidified that claim.

Gohan was still staring at the foreigners, analyzing their power levels and fighting prowess's by judgment of posture and mind infiltration. He wasn't surprised at the fact that Piccolo was an alien. He didn't really mind since he saw all his friends as just friends. Anyway, his prime focus was on the new arrivals. It didn't take him long to get a down low on both of them, but he would have to see later how they would actually fight. They were obviously trained to be unpredictable.

Vegeta smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Hey, if you're a Namek, then you must have been the one to have created the Dragon balls! Yes. If so, then you're the one to turn to in order to find them," the Saiyan exclaimed. Nappa, seeing where his partner was going with this nodded and raised a clenched fist towards the group.

"That's right! The Namek should come with us then! He'd better not refuse our offer, otherwise we'll bring him down single-handedly!" the big guy stated, throwing his fist back down to enforce this. Vegeta leered, arms still crossed.

"Your cooperation is advisable," the prince continued. Piccolo, dropping his anger, grinned and straightened his posture. Without a second thought, the Namek took off his turban and threw it away. He then proceeded to remove his cape, which in turn, he also discarded. Leaving the weighted clothes on the ground to rot, the Namek cracked his neck, loosening his tense muscles.

"Heh…if you think you trash will be able to force me to join in on your little adventure hunt, then think again," Piccolo said, hunching his shoulders and rolling them. With his loosening done, he returned to glaring at them again. Krillin wasn't at all surprised by the way Piccolo talked back and also continued to stare at the two Saiyans. Vegeta and Nappa were obviously confounded by Piccolo's response. Still, they had predicted the back fire, to which they would retaliate against.

Vegeta chuckled. "Very well then…if that's how it will be, fine. We'll find the Dragon balls on our own! That is…after we have disposed of you three. After which we will use them to grant our wishes to become the strongest warriors in the universe!" Vegeta proclaimed, making gestures in order to create a visual statement.

Krillin decided to get in on the action and interrupted the prince's tirade of declarations. "Well, I'm afraid you're a few minutes too late for that. We've already used the one wish to bring Goku back to life!" Krillin exclaimed. Piccolo nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, and after one wish has been made, you'll have to wait one year in order to use the Dragon balls power again. So don't count on being able to use the Dragon balls anytime soon," Piccolo continued. Nappa was the one who caught the full blast of this. He stepped forward and threateningly held up his fist.

"WHAT! Why you little earth…!" Vegeta held up his own hand, stopping Nappa in his tracks.

"Cool it Nappa, it's alright," the Saiyan prince said. He smirked and looked back up at the three fighters. "Even though we're too late, we can afford to wait another year. We can even make up for our lost time and beat up on these three instead!" the prince stated. Nappa stared at his comrade for a moment and then grinned, looking back up at their opposition. He chuckled and slammed his right fist into his left palm.

"Oh yeah…that sounds much more fulfilling!" the bald Saiyan yelled, gritting his teeth and showing off that ugly grin.

Gohan flinched, his fighting senses kicking in. He instantly noted that from the large Saiyan's cumbersome movements that he would prove to be the easiest of the targets. Not only did he have the lowest ki level, he was also hot-headed and bulky. Piccolo and Krillin may not be able to lock horns with him so easily, but he knew that he would be able too. Still, there was also Vegeta. The short Saiyan may not look so tough, but Gohan knew better. He was the strongest, emitting an incredible ki level. His movements were also more fluent and his posture, corrected by sense of balance and focus clued in on his fighting prowess. He would definitely prove a worthy opponent for him.

Before anything else could be said, they heard a yell from over head, drawing everyone's attention towards the sky. In a flash, they saw three more people drop out of the sky and land in the clearing. Taking their places beside Krillin, Piccolo and Gohan the late new comers faced down the Saiyan invaders. Krillin was happy to see them.

"Yeah! Tien, Chouzu, Yamcha, you made it!" Krillin exclaimed.

The three of them were also a part of the Z-team, two of which Gohan hasn't been introduced too yet. Yamcha wore an outfit similar to Krillin's this one orange and tainted with a blue belt and bands of his own design. He had long, messy hair as well and had a lot of battle scars. Second was Tien, who stood to the same height as Yamcha, but looked a lot stronger. He was bald, had three eyes, wore green gi pants and no shirt, and had green, red lined cuffs and weight leggings. Last but not least was of course, Chouzu. He was a short fighter who looked a lot like a mime. He had pale white skin, wore a white singlet, and green pants like Tien, and had red cheeks with no nose. He didn't look very strong, but the way his energy output appeared and how he stood suggested he had strong psychic abilities.

As soon as the three had scattered around them, Tien began to speak. Obviously, the group was pleased they had arrived on time.

"Hey Krillin, sorry we're late," Tien said.

"We just got a little caught up back on Kami's look out," Yamcha continued. Both of them had fighting grins in place, suiting their mood. Chouzu nodded affirmatively in agreement.

"Yeah. We had extended training, so we got late notice since we were in the middle of a session," Chouzu exclaimed. Tien smirked, fixing his wrist bands so that they were comfortable. Yamcha placed his hands on his hips and stared down at Krillin as before.

"Now that we're here, we can finally get this show on the road," Tien stated. In unison, the new arrivals glared over at Vegeta and Nappa. The two Saiyans didn't expect three more fighters. However Radditz's defeat had taught them better.

"Heh…so these are the Saiyans," Yamcha grunted out, removing his hands from his hips and turning them into fists.

Krillin nodded, also glaring down at the pair. "Yeah…unfortunately. That bald guy is giving me the creeps…"

Nappa sharp ears caught that and he gritted his teeth. He turned on the short monk with clear anger. "Bald! I heard bald! You just called me bald you little punk!!!" Vegeta rolled his eyes and just stared off in some random direction.

"Well, if you had any sense you're a lot older then you look, even though you still act like a child!" Vegeta retorted. Nappa glared down at his comrade, still burning with rage. Veins pulsed around his forehead, showing how much his blood was boiling.

"Can I kill them now!!!?" Nappa growled. Vegeta shrugged and tapped his biceps with his fingers, bored.

"Sure, but why not see how strong these earthlings really are? Since they can hide their energy, it will be hard to determine which one of them is the strongest," Vegeta said. He glanced up at his partner. Nappa nodded affirmatively and turned back to their opposition. Reaching up, he clicked his scouter into active.

The bleeping of the readouts opened up in front of him. Through his blue visor he was able to see what each fighter's ki was. From weakest to strongest, he took into note of each fighter's power level.

It read in order: Chouzu: 550, Yamcha: 980, Tien: 989, Krillin: 1,083, Piccolo: 1,220 and Gohan: 2,000.

The big Saiyan sniggered. "Pah…these guys are weaklings. The strongest is 2,000, and that's coming off of the brat!" Vegeta scowled up at Nappa.

"You idiot! Don't you remember what I said!? These guys have learnt how to hide their power levels!" he growled, glaring back over at the group. Nappa blinked, wondering why his friend was so stressed. Vegeta, instead of continuing on with his venting, just continued talking. "Do we still have any Saibamen left?"

Nappa grinned and reached into his armor. "Oh yeah, I've got six left. That's bound to be enough to handle these earthlings!" the giant Saiyan answered, bringing out a small vial/capsule from an inner armor pocket. Flicking it through his fingers, he took a glance at the visible contents inside. There were six seeds inside, with a small dosage of liquid growth that helped sprout the gruesome soldiers. Nappa sniggered evilly. "These mini-soldiers will make mince meat out of these scums!"

Before Nappa could get to planting, a golden, narrow beam suddenly shot out of nowhere and struck across Nappa knuckle with such precision that it knocked the vial out of his hand. The big Saiyan gasped in shock, too slow to react as the capsule spun out of his reach and straight towards the Z-warriors. In a blink of an eye a small hand shot out and grabbed the vial before it was brought down to level with the owner's chest. Gohan now held the container in his grasp.

Nappa and Vegeta were surprised, although…the bigger of the two was beside himself; "Hey you brat! Give that back!!!" the bald Saiyan screamed stepping forward as if ready to attack.

Gohan opened his palm so that the vial floated just centimeters from his palm, yet still hovering within his open clasp. The child glared down at the pair. The rest of the Z-warriors were staring at Gohan in astonishment, all except Piccolo.

"This is our battle, Nappa. It is not within a fighters honor to allow someone else to do your dirty work," Gohan stated. He scowled over at the big Saiyan, who was standing rooted to the spot. "And you call yourself a Saiyan…"

Nappa was taken aback. Vegeta on the other hand was finding an interest in the boy's way of words. He raised an eyebrow at Gohan and smirked.

"_Hm…I see that this kid has a lot of spunk. He must be Kakarot's kid," _Vegeta thought, a grin forming on his lips. _"Perhaps he would prove to be a worthy opponent…"_

Back to Gohan, the young Saiyan was still holding the capsule in suspension. But only for a few more seconds before a blue energy ball formed in his palm, surrounding the object and incinerating it. When he relinquished the ball of energy and it dissipated, there was nothing left, just a smoke whiff of smoke. Nappa yelled in anger and glared down at Vegeta. The Saiyan prince didn't bother to look up at him.

"HEY! That brat destroyed my Saibamen!" Nappa shouted. Vegeta grunted in response.

"Well, what am I going to do about it? They're gone, and I don't have any more on me…" Vegeta replied. Nappa grumbled and glared up at the fighters standing ahead of him. They were all glaring at him, with Gohan's arm returned to his side.

"Grgh…now I have to waste my energy on these losers!"

The large Saiyan stomped forward so that he stood in the middle of the two groups, Vegeta behind him and the Z-fighters in front. All at once, Tien, Yamcha, Krillin and Chouzu took firm fighting stances. All of them gritted their teeth and prepared for a fight. It was also a surprise to see Piccolo take a standing as well. Now ready and standing beside Tien, he glared down at Nappa with a serious expression in play. Unlike the others, he was the stronger, yet he wanted to go easy to see how Nappa worked.

With a large, evil grin in play, Nappa balled his fists and threw them back down to his sides sharply. An explosion occurred, followed by an incredible rush of wind that sent dust hurling everywhere. A pure blue aura burst up around the large Saiyan, his loud scream echoing into the distance. Krillin, Yamcha, Tien and Chouzu were nearly blown away by the force displayed before them. Piccolo however was surprised…inwardly shocked at the amount of ki now growing and radiating off of Nappa. The cyclonic formation of energy that reached high up into the sky suddenly died, reduced to a powerful flame surrounding the Saiyan. Nappa chuckled, taking a stance. Spreading his legs out, left leg forward and right leg part, he brought his left defensive arm up and right fist held back.

Taking each and every fighter into account, the giant Saiyan grinned wildly. "Now let's see… who should I take down first?" Nappa asked himself, looking over the five fighters already up on the plate. Gohan hung back in the background, arms folded. He was still wearing that mask of seriousness as always, and was, to be honest, a little bored.

Without warning there was a second explosion, followed by a loud whoosh of rushing wind. In that moment, Nappa took to the skies. Coming to fly five stories above earth, he pulled back his right hand and threw it forward, unleashing a powerful energy blast at the troop standing below him. Reacting quickly, the group of five, split! Jumping into super speed and flying in all different directions before turning to the skies, and charging down their opponent from all sides. All Gohan did was look up in interest as the dust settled from the blast's explosion.

Nappa increased altitude, watching as the five fighters went at him. He was ready. Piccolo attacked first, sending punches and kicks his way. Nappa avoided the first ones before moving into the defensive parrying mode. He blocked the next blows to come and quickly knocked the Namek away. As soon as Piccolo was sent flying, Tien and Krillin attacked. They attacked Nappa relentlessly, but were unable to land any blows. They were closely followed by Yamcha, the three way attack forcing Nappa back even more, and also making him increase strength and speed of his defenses. He was now using his full concentration and strength.

Unable to take the pressure of the three fighters tackling him, Nappa leapt back and crossed his arms over his face, bringing his knees to his chest. With a quick energy gather, he threw all limbs out and roared in anger, a golden energy shield appearing around him. The quick blast knocked Yamcha, Tien and Krillin back, who were about to attack again. As soon as they were off, Nappa shot forward, intent on attacking in kind. However, he was met full on when Piccolo suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Punching Nappa across the face while he was in mid-flight, he sent Nappa falling. But the Saiyan recovered quickly and pulled up, taking to the skies again and retreating as Piccolo gave chase. The Namek honed in upon reaching Nappa when he once again made a stand. Nappa responded to this and attacked, only to have the faster fighter avoid all his blows.

Brawling above the heights of the surrounding mountains, the Z-fighters battled on. Chouzu later joined Piccolo, only to be swatted off like a ordinary fly. His body strength may not have been great, but his psychic abilities were incredible. He sent a couple of shock waves at Nappa which staggered him, allowing Tien, Yamcha and Krillin to take him by surprise and batter him. Unfortunately, not all the hero's continued fighting without suffering their own injuries. Piccolo got hammered five times, since he had been going at Nappa more then the others. Yamcha was second, followed by Chouzu and Krillin. Tien was sure to stay away from Nappa, but kept up his overall share of the fight.

While they were fighting, Gohan looked down at Vegeta, seeing the Saiyan prince glaring at him. Gohan blinked, and so did Vegeta. They were on their own, not occupied in the fight like Piccolo and the others, and were staring each other down. The sounds of the fight continuing on above raised their own instincts, and they craved for it.

Vegeta smirked. "You know Kakabrat…no one I have fought before has been able to catch Nappa by surprise so easily. You must have some fight hidden underneath that honor and spirit," the prince stated. Gohan nodded, uncrossing his arms so that they were at his sides. His knuckles creaked as he moved his fingers.

"Of course, but I don't see why Goliath doesn't have fighting skills of his own," Gohan replied, clearly referring too Nappa who had just smacked Yamcha away with a straight kick to his stomach. Krillin and Piccolo shot at him a split second later, engaging him in a fiercer battle. With Nappa being pressed back, Chouzu appeared behind him and sent a mind blast straight into Nappa's back. This knocked the giant Saiyan falling, quickly pursued by Tien.

Vegeta chuckled at Gohan's choice of reference. "Well, don't think it will be so simple to take me down. As you can tell…I'm far stronger then my counterpart…and I will not go easy on anyone…" Vegeta stated. Gohan smirked.

"That remains to be seen. Shall we?" Gohan asked, putting his right fist into his left palm and bowing in respect. Vegeta nodded in return.

"Take your stance then brat," Vegeta jeered, dropping back into his own fighting position. Left hand rose up, right leg stretched out and back, with his right hand open at his side. Gohan grinned, dropping into his own preferred stance. Feet shoulder width apart, the young Saiyan put his left leg forward first, with his right fist held up to his cheek and left hand held forward, fingers out and hand shaped as if in a chop, but palm facing towards the ground. Now he was ready.

The wind whipped through them like in a Western stand off. Both combatants shifted their hands, their fingers edging. They were both eager to get this fight on the road. But as the time ticked by, it seemed as if it would never come. One would eventually have to break this staring contest.

After at least a minute had ticked by, Vegeta's foot shifted back a bit, preparing to push off. Gohan caught it out of the corner of his eye, as well as hear it. Lifting his left heel off, toes on the ground, Gohan slammed down. An earth quaking vibration was sent through the ground, followed by a reverberation. Then, sliding his foot along, Gohan pushed forward, slamming down again. Just as he did so, the ground seemed to transform into water. A large ripple of earth shot straight for Vegeta at an amazing rate, threatening to knock him over.

Vegeta gasped when he saw that and quickly pushed off the ground, shooting into the air just as the ripple reached him. Then, right where he had been standing seconds ago, a whole mass of crystal spikes shot out of the earth, rising several meters before stopping two stories above the earth. The diamond structures sparkled brilliantly under the sun. The Saiyan prince was startled that Gohan had been able to conjure up such an attack so quickly, and with no ki shaping whatsoever.

Before he could gather up his senses, Vegeta was attacked from behind. Gohan rammed his knee straight into the back of the prince's neck, sending him plummeting. Vegeta yelled in shock, spinning out of control as he fell. Gohan hovered above him, watching as the flame haired Saiyan headed ground-ward. But don't count him out yet.

Flipping back into submission, Vegeta tucked himself up and spun, before extending himself and taking his fall into control. He shot straight up again, heading for Gohan. The young Saiyan was ready. With no more need for ki tactics, the child flew down and at Vegeta, picking up speed and using the momentum he had gained as an advantage. Then, with an enormous burst of power, the two fighters clashed, fists first. With the collision of both punches, the two of them shot off into super speed, disappearing with the wind.

The sky and landscape was soon filled with the explosions and shock waves of two super beings shooting left and right, their attacks making contact with one another simultaneously. First they'd fly off to gain distance and speed before flying back at their opponent and sending a single, combined attack at them. With every attack made and every parry initiated, the resulting effect was a tremendous shock wave. It shook the skies, threatening to break it. But then, when it died, a second bang would occur. Both fighters were moving really fast, eyes unable to track them. They passed right through Nappa's fight with the Z-team, surprising the group and the mercenary. But that was only for a second.

A mountain on the horizon suddenly exploded, its rubble falling to the ground, collapsing. Seconds later, a massive crater appeared just beyond the landing site of the two space pods. The effects were tremendous, shaking the earth violently and creating crevices that formed and extended out of the crater. These were so because of the fight Vegeta and Gohan were engaged in. The engagement of both fighters was incredible, more incredible then any other fight ever had.

Shock waves exploded all around Nappa and the other Z-fighters, making their fight seem like nothing. However, the clash was still going on strong, and as it carried on, things started to get fiercer.

"Wolf-Fang Fist!" Yamcha yelled, shooting straight at Nappa and unleashing a powerful combination of punches. Nappa was surprised at the incredible speed and strength of the energy fist combination, forcing him to duck the first few blows. But when the final punch came, it struck him in the chest, when he assumed it would be nothing. It wasn't, as the palm strike cracked and smashed a hole in his armor and thumped against his chest. Nappa staggered through the air, winded.

"Argh! Darn you bug! I'll squash you!" Nappa shouted. With a quick hand combination and energy manipulation, he held out his right palm and unleashed a powerful energy ball. The attack shot at Yamcha like a bullet, but was not to hit its target as the fighter was able to avoid it. After feeling the hot winds graze him, Yamcha decided to keep his distance for the time and dropped out of the sky, landing on solid ground.

Chouzu appeared above Nappa, out of reach but still in effective range. Throwing back his finger, the little fighter let out a yell before throwing his finger forward and unleashing a narrow beam of energy straight at the Saiyan.

"Dodom-Ray!" The golden beam struck Nappa in the shoulder, breaking the armor shield their and burning his skin on impact. Most of the blast's force was deflected due to the skin's endurance. Nappa yelped all the same, and growled, glaring up at Chouzu.

"You little pest!" he growled, throwing his left finger forward and pointing it up at him. He unleashed a narrow beam of his own, this one on route to striking Chouzu in the chest. The little mime was shocked, suspended on the spot and unable to move. He froze during the battle, which would more then cost him in the life time.

But just as it seemed that Chouzu would get hit, a blue energy ball shot out of nowhere, absorbing them beam before dissipating. Chouzu was surprised when he aw Krillin and Tien appear out of nowhere, coming to stand at his defense. Bruised and battered, as well as infuriated, they both held out their hands at Nappa and powered up two energy attacks. With a burst of light, two golden blasts shot out and straight at their target. Unable to move fast enough to avoid them, Nappa crossed his arms over his face and blocked them. The blasts struck, exploding with incredible force, but only burning Nappa's skin slightly. He wasn't harmed in the least.

When the smoke started to lift, Nappa lowered his defense and growled, glaring up through the smoke at the two offenders. But before he could act, he sensed something else come out from beneath and looked to his right. He suddenly saw a blue, sparkling ball fly through the smoke, shooting at him at an incredible speed. Nappa was shocked, but was quick to move out of the way. He barely avoided it as it passed him.

Yamcha happened to be the cause of this attack. His right hand was held out towards Nappa, right fist held back and a grin on his face.

"Now you're finished! Spirit-ball attack!" the scarred fighter declared. Establishing control over the energy attack, Yamcha began maneuvering it threw the air by moving his hands around quickly, forming various paths and routes for his attack to take. This was done automatically, and the energy ball received his commands.

Nappa yelled in shock, avoiding the same ball of energy again, and again, and again…and again! He shifted and ducked through the air, avoiding the blue and bright white ball as it zipped and zapped passed him. It was fast and hard to avoid. Nappa barely avoided it the last time, lifting his right leg and leaning back, watching as it passed right under his leg. Yamcha wasn't done yet. With a downward thrust of his two forward fingers, he commanded the ball with one last, effective point.

Before Nappa could react, the energy ball struck him in the back. The explosion on impact was just as effective as the force the impact had, knocking Nappa forward before consuming him in a fiery fate. Yamcha grinned, chuckling as he heard the Saiyan's scream reach his ears.

"Oh yeah! That's how I roll," the fighter exclaimed. He spoke too soon, much to his later disappointment.

Just as the resulting smoke surrounding Nappa's fried _floating_ corpse began to lift, there was a tremendous output of energy, followed by a zap of light. Yamcha gasped, eyes widening. Napa was alive, and had come back with a surprise attack. Looking down at his feet, the last thing Yamcha saw was a bright flash of light and an extremely hot, burning feeling. A tremendous, nuclear like explosion occurred right underneath his feet, a fire ball consuming him with its rays shooting straight upwards, sending Yamcha up before his body was completely disintegrated. His scream echoed into the distance.

When the explosion died, there was nothing left of him. All there was was a large, smoking crater. Everyone out on the battle field was shocked. Looking back towards the recent, floating cloud of smoke, they saw Nappa's form emerge. He had his right hand held forward with two fingers pointing upwards, his most powerful attack having been unleashed on the now dead Yamcha. The Saiyan chuckled.

"And that's how _I_ roll," Nappa exclaimed. Krillin growled and let out a yell of rage.

"NOOOOOO!!! I'll get you for that you monster!" Krillin shouted.

Just as Krillin was about to rush him, they heard another shout come out of the blue, catching all of them off guard by the familiarity. _"Special beam cannon!"_ Seconds later, a orange beam coiled by a second hurled past Krillin's ear and straight down at Nappa. The giant Saiyan looked up, seeing the narrow attack flying straight at him.

When he saw its speed and calculated its strength in his head, the bald fighter avoided it. it barely scrapped past him, burning into his armor before Nappa was fully out. The beam flew off into the distance, striking a distant mountain and exploded. The remains of the stone structure collapsed to the ground, a dust cloud rising into the air. It was from that dust cloud did two more fighters emerge, both of them locked in heated combat.

Vegeta shot out of the cloud, yelling from being struck by his opponent. Gohan followed through, bursting out of the cloud a split second later. As soon as the young, seemingly unscarred Saiyan was out in the open, he looked towards the area where Nappa and Piccolo were now fighting. He counted Krillin, Tien and Chouzu as well, but was unable to detect Yamcha. Realization of the fighter's death suddenly caught onto him and the young Saiyan child was shocked beyond belief.

"No! Yamcha!" Gohan whispered loudly.

"Big mistake brat!" came Vegeta's shout.

Looking up, Gohan saw a white fist appear out of thin air. The attack collided with his cheek, a shock wave resounding and echoing loudly. From the blow, Gohan was sent plummeting at an extraordinary rate, back into the cloud of dust created by the fall of the recently destroyed mountain. The expression he had was of shock, added up by the bruise he had. He disappeared in a puff of smoke. But his fall wasn't to go alone as a barrage of golden energy blasts followed him, punching holes into the clouds and chasing the fallen one. Simultaneous explosions were heard, rupturing the skies and earth. The rain of blasts ended three seconds later, with a total of fifteen released.

Retracting his right hand, Vegeta sniggered and crossed his arms. The Saiyan prince, slightly bruised up with his armor cracked and spandex pants at his knees ripped, landed a top of a diminutive point formed by a rocky mountain. The prince chuckled.

"You shouldn't have dropped your guard…"

Well, he was sure hell right about that, but Gohan wasn't at all fussed. A distraction was a distraction, and Gohan was about to pull off another one. When the dust cloud was still at its thickest, the young Saiyan attacked. There was a high rush of wind that tore through the skies like a hurricane, an invisible blast fired straight at Vegeta. The Prince of all Saiyans sensed the approach of the attack. Shocked, he made a decisive leapt straight up into the air, barely avoiding the blast. There was an earth shaking explosion as the rocky pillar point on which he once stood burst into rubble, rocks and boulders.

Unable to recover from his shock, Vegeta was too slow to react when Gohan shot straight out of the dust cloud and straight at him. Fist cranked back, Gohan sent his energy coursing into it and glared hard, knowing his opponent would be in reach within seconds. Just as Vegeta was looking up and locking onto him, Gohan threw a straight, powered up punch straight into Vegeta's stomach. The impact was incredible, making Vegeta cough up blood from the blow. But that didn't stop Gohan. As he drove in on his punch, Gohan unleashed a ball of powerful force energy. The golden orb pushed the Saiyan prince through the skies at an incredibly fast rate before exploding. Vegeta was sent flying even faster, his momentum losing its rate and his lack of sense sending him plummeting. Gohan followed.

Spotting the Saiyan child diving after him, Vegeta growled and spun through the air. Leveling out, he threw back his right hand before sending it forward, unleashing a powerful, ki blast directly at the young Saiyan. Gohan gasped and pulled up sharply. Shooting back as fast as he could, he shifted to the left, pivoting out of the way. Unfortunately it wasn't enough and the blast graved his right shoulder, tearing and ripping his outfit away, as well as burning his arm.

Staggering back through the air, Gohan looked down at his shoulder and checked the wound. With nothing to worry about but third degree burns, he looked back down at Vegeta and took a stance. The prince was infuriated that his tracer blast didn't do any real damage and took off at Gohan once again. Ripping through the skies, the Saiyan roared in anger and powered up. Now he wasn't going to play games anymore…

At the same time Vegeta went on his high powered rampage, Nappa was already aside his old self. With his body battered and bruised as bad as the fighters he was taking on, and his armor cracked and damaged, the bald giant charged his opponents down. Seeing as that Yamcha was no longer in the fight, the group had found themselves pressed hard against the ropes. Fortunately Nappa was weakening as well, allowing them to get back at him as much as he got back at them. Still, it didn't mean they were falling faster then he was.

Piccolo, Krillin, Tien and Chouzu, the only fighters left to tackle Nappa, were zapping in and out of focus, traveling at speeds no ordinary human could follow. At the same time, Nappa was following them through the moves, clashing fists and trying to knock each one of them out of the fight. The joy of having killed one of the fighters had grown sour.

Out of all the Z-fighters left to fight Nappa now, Chouzu was getting pummeled. Stretched too his limits and wobbling as he took his stances, he was on the verge of collapsing. He was unable to muster up anymore psychic blasts either, making him vulnerable to attack. Tien and Krillin were given the task of protecting their staggering friend, defending him as best they could. This made fighting Nappa all the more difficult. Piccolo was hard pressed enough.

Emerging from super speed, Piccolo sent his combinations Nappa's way. The bald Saiyan dodged and avoided all of the attacks, ducking a powerful, swift kick, which barely missed him. Nappa growled, veins growing on his head.

"Would you stop that!!!" Nappa yelled, blocking another barrage of punches with cross defenses and parries. Piccolo gritted his teeth and fell back. Boy he was tough, but was a hell of a good fighter. The Namek grinned.

"Heh…an annoyance, huh? Well, just wait until I really start trying!" Piccolo stated, attacking Nappa again. The Saiyan gasped and backed away, avoiding fast, strong punches thrown by the green warrior. He blocked one of his hooks, taking in the force and absorbing the impact. He had to admit, the attack was pretty strong, especially for a pint sized fighter that had been nothing but a bother.

After avoiding several more punches, Nappa leapt up higher and kneed Piccolo under the chin. The Namek was shocked from the blow, his head and body dipping backwards. Just as he did so, Nappa threw a straight kick right into his chest, sending Piccolo shooting straight towards the earth at a phenomenal rate. Gohan's friend yelled, his voice echoing as he plummeted. Moments later, he crashed into the valley floor far below, forming a large crater in his wake. The creation of the crater sent dust into the air, clouding all view of his condition.

With Piccolo out of the way, Nappa turned on Tien and the others. He saw Krillin and Tien standing side by side, backing away with nervous looks on their faces. The Saiyan chuckled, his blue aura exploding around him in a tornado like formation. It spun around him, changing the air temperature rapidly.

"We'll see who's trying after I'm done with you two!" Nappa growled.

Suddenly, there was a rush of wind and an enormous jump of ki. Nappa rushed forward, yelling at the top of his lungs on strike to take on both Tien and Krillin. Before the pair could react, they were clobbered. Nappa easily hook Krillin across the face, after that, the attacker kneed Tien in the stomach. With both crippled and unable to do nothing, Nappa side kicked Krillin away and then elbowed Tien across the face. The tri-clops was winded from both attacks, but wasn't prepared to endure the worst of which to come.

Nappa grinned and pulled back his hand, drawing his index and middle finger out. In a brilliant sparkle of light, his twin fingers began to crackle with pure gold electricity. In slow motion, Nappa was able to charge up his next attack with ease and with short timing. With Tien still in shock and unable to do anything, the mercenary took the opportunity to bring him down. The Saiyan's threw his fingers forward in a slash attack. He scarred Tien across the chest before bringing his two fingers up towards his left arm. There was a zap and a slicing sound, as if metal was cutting across a sheet of material. It was with that moment did Tien feel a bolt of pain shoot through his entire body. He screamed out in agony and brought his left arm up towards him…or where it used to be. Cut several inches above the elbow, all there was left was a stump, the part where it was sliced sizzling and crackling with the same electrical current that had driven Nappa's attack. The Saiyan laughed out loud and brought his two fingers up once more for the finishing move.

As Tien staggered back, moaning in pain, he looked up. There, he saw the Saiyan monster approaching, chuckling through gritted teeth. He leered venomously.

"You're dead meat punk!" Nappa grumbled. Tien gaped, backing away as he watched the crackling of electricity around Nappa's fingers grow and intensify. The energy level and heat was incredible. There was no way he could avoid it. Even so, he was still overcome with pain, gripping his maimed arm and trying to stay conscious.

Just as Nappa was about to strike, he suddenly stopped and looked behind him. He gasped when he saw the small, mime fighter Chouzu latched onto his back. He had only been distracted for several seconds. When he was occupied the opening time allowed Chouzu to surprise him. But what could the weakened fighter accomplish from this move? Well, whatever it was, it wasn't good. Nappa stopped in his attack and began swiveling about. Dropping his attack, he tried reaching behind him to try and swat him off. But all in vein, he wasn't flexible enough.

"What!? Grrhh…gah! Get…get off me you…you midget! Raagghh!!!" Nappa shouted, trying again to swat the exhausted fighter off. In so doing, as he swiveled, he accidentally smacked Tien down, sending him dropping the last twenty stories to the ground. The tri-clops let out a yelp when he crashed hard onto the grassy, yet rocky ground.

Shaking and coughing, Tien staggered back to his feet, He looked back up at Nappa, teeth gritted to bite back the pain. When he looked back up, he saw Chouzu, and was wondering through panic why he wasn't detaching himself. Krillin, who was also grounded, was looking up too from his own small crater. Piccolo on the other hand was already up and watching the scene unfold above him.

"Chouzu! Get away from him!" Tien shouted.

Nappa grumbled, still trying in vein to get him off of him. "You'd better listen to your friend runt!"

Chouzu sobbed, shutting his eyes to hide his tears. "NO! Sorry Tien! This is the only way to beat him! I'm doing this to save you friend! Stay alive!" the little fighter yelled so that Tien could hear him. He did, and Tien was shocked at what he had to hear and see. Chouzu smiled. "Good-bye…"

Then, as soon as he had gathered up enough energy, creating the required high concentration, he released. Chouzu's body glowed a brilliant shade of blue before a fire ball consumed Nappa completely. The explosion was accompanied by a blast of wind, a cyclone of smoke and a loud bang. It was so tremendous; the very explosion rocked the skies. Tien's eyes widened and he stepped forward.

"CHOUZU!!!" he cried.

Krillin, Piccolo and Tien were soundless. The sacrifice Chouzu had made was brave, but it was also a foolish one. Because, seconds after the explosion had occurred, the smoke thinned out, revealing a completely unharmed Nappa. The bald Saiyan's armor was ruined on the back and he was burnt as well. However, he was still intact, and was rather surprised by the sudden self-destruct. He shook his head, spitting to the side.

"Pah…a little over dramatic," Nappa commented, his ears ringing. Tien growled, opening his right palm so that it formed half a diamond shape. As soon as he did, he too began concentrating a mass amount of energy into it. Even though he was in pain, exhausted of over half his energy and missing an arm, he was still able to produce a huge amount of ki. Glaring up at Nappa in rage, he locked on, preparing to fire.

"Chouzu…I won't let your sacrifice go unfulfilled! I'm going to finish what you started and destroy this monster! I promise you…I will not leave you alone up there!" Tien muttered, cringing from the pain he felt coursing through him. His attack still wasn't strong enough with the amount of usable energy he had left. But he did have one more thing left to give. His life force!

Throwing his hand back again, Tien took a balanced stance and threw his hand forward and into his sight. With a yell, he unleashed a powerful blast of energy that shot straight at Nappa with unyielding force and speed. Not even the unstoppable Nappa could avoid it.

"TRI-BEAAAAMMM!!!" Tien roared. There was a sharp bang followed by the running of a powerful torrent of energy. Seconds later, there was a second, colossal explosion that consumed Nappa whole, the Saiyan crossing his arms over his face to defend himself. It didn't do much for the rest of his body as his armor and spandex was torn away. He was burnt severely, and was believed to meet his end here. But when the blast and explosion died, and the smoke lifted, it was revealed that Tien's attack didn't do much at all. The same result happened just as Chouzu's attempt did. Nappa's armor and spandex was burnt completely away, leaving him in a pair of black, spandex shorts.

Nappa breathed in and out, sighing. "Phew…that was a blast…" he exclaimed sarcastically.

Tien blanked out, staggering forward and uttering his last words. "D-Damn…it!" he breathed, falling flat onto his stomach. Nappa grinned as he watched the wasted up fighter collapse. With a thud, Tien's spirit and life was carried up and away, leaving his corpse lying on the battlefield. Krillin was shocked, and so was Piccolo. All their friends were dying, and for what! Nothing! Nappa was still alive!

"GOKU! PLEASE COME QUICKLY!" Krillin screamed into the skies, terrified out of his mind.

Piccolo scowled up at the bald Saiyan, teeth gritted and fists clenched tightly.

"_Darn…I never knew he could be such a monster. I don't think we'll be able to beat him without help!"_ Piccolo thought. There was a distant explosion and a shock wave, drawing Piccolo's attention towards the horizon. In the sky, he saw bursts of light and explosions run across his sights just over the ridge. He could feel the earth shaking and the ki's of the two fighters out there.

Piccolo frowned. _"Come on Gohan…you can beat him! Let's hope we can hold this guy off till Goku arrives…"_

Well, Gohan had the fight completely under control now.

After sensing the defeat of Tien and Chouzu, the Saiyan child knew he was running out of time and options. If Krillin and Piccolo were unable to hold off Nappa till his father arrives, then he may as well take on both Vegeta and the big grunt in the end on his own, with all of their efforts for nothing. The thought of Tien and Chouzu's loss made him worry, as well as enrage him. But their sacrifices made him fight harder. Still, the fact that Vegeta was a good fighter made beating him harder. And even though Gohan wasn't trying, the prince of Saiyan was putting up a descent stand.

The two of them flashed out of super speed and locked in intense combat, floating hundreds of meters above the ground. They lashed out at each other viciously; Vegeta's shouts and grunts sounding while Gohan merely grunted with every attack he threw. The attacks sometimes came in contact with their opponent, but sometimes met up with a well placed defense. They were both solid and were proving to be the strongest here. Vegeta however was hard pressed into this and was becoming more and more stressed. He could tell by a fighter's sign whether he was trying or not. And Gohan, by the serious, un-intense look he had, told him that he was still warming up. The young Saiyan avoided his next flurry of kicks and punches with ease before coming back with a full frontal assault, forcing Vegeta back whereas his attacks didn't.

Blocking a kick, Vegeta powered up a blast in his right hand and sent it directly at Gohan at point blank range. Gohan kicked the blast upwards and flipped over, coming in with a straight punch and two hooks. He struck with all three blows across Vegeta's face, staggering him back. When the child's combination ended, the prince attacked. He hooked at Gohan, hammering him hard. Gohan staggered like he did but recovered faster. He pressed forward and sent a double fly kick. Vegeta leapt back and tried to attack but got a heel hammered right on top of his head.

Jumping back again, Vegeta rubbed his head and growled, looking up at Gohan. He saw the young Saiyan dropped in a fighting stance, glaring the Saiyan prince down. The flame haired Saiyan scowled.

"Well…you fight good…but not that good!" he shouted. With a quick power up, Vegeta threw both his hands forward and fired off a powerful ball of blue energy. The attack soared at Gohan at an amazing speed, and seemed as though it would strike. But before it could, Gohan had prepared himself.

Just as the blast was within a meter away from Gohan, there was a flash and a sharp, slicing sound. Before the blast could reach Gohan, it suddenly split in two before dissipating. When it cleared, it revealed the Saiyan child standing there with his sword drawn and held outwards. His eyes narrowed down on his opponent as he brought his weapon around in a more threatening and cool finishing pose.

The blade shone in the sun, the light running down it and illuminating its sleek make. The weapon gleamed, making Vegeta back away with worry. The young Saiyan smirked.

"I know it's unfair…but if it's enough to convince you…" Gohan exclaimed. "Then let the second round begin…"

TO BE CONTINUED…


	6. Transformation and Defeat

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Transformation and Defeat_

Nappa was still going on a relentless rampage. With the sound of victory calling in his ears, he didn't hold anything back now. But neither did Piccolo and Krillin, both of whom were valiantly putting up the best fight they could. They were disappointed none to say the least as they were slowly pummeled to a pulp.

Krillin had a gigantic fist slammed across his face, sending him soaring off in some direction before he was able to stop himself. With Krillin's lack of interference, Nappa was able to concentrate on the bruised and battered Piccolo. The Namek let out a yell as he flew in, avoiding another one of the big Saiyan's punches and sending a upper elbow straight into Nappa's chin. The Saiyan yelled and staggered back. As soon as he regained his composure, he charged up his next attack. Cranking back his left hand, he pulled it back so far that it was as if he was about to pelt a ball at a batter on the pitch. Instead, a crackling, golden orb surrounded his hand, the noise it made loud and powerful. The up hurl of wind was enough to be classified as a class 3 tornado. Piccolo backed off, dropping into a fighting stance in preparation for this upcoming attack. What he didn't know however was how powerful it actually was.

Nappa chuckled. "You fool! Don't think you will be able to block this! I'll deep fry you!"

Piccolo ignored him. Seeing that the Namek didn't heed his warning, Nappa grinned. "I guess I'm going to kill everyone after all! If that's so, then give my regards to HELL!!!" the Saiyan roared, throwing his hand forward and unleashing an enormous torrent of energy. The blast hurled through the air like a silo missile, its expansion threatening to consume Piccolo whole and destroy him. The green skinned warrior had no intention of dying just yet.

Leaping straight up into the air, Piccolo threw both his arms back and cupped them together. With a loud yell and a quick power up, he threw both his hands forward and launched his attack. The avoidance of Nappa's decisive strike was just the first step; he shouldn't have used up so much time.

"MAKOSEN HAAAAAAAA!!!!!" Piccolo yelled, an enormous, orange blast being fired from his palms. The blast shot at Nappa at a faster rate then his attack, with the big Saiyan spotting it. Shocked and bewildered, Nappa caught it full on in the chest and face, toppling him and causing him to relinquish his control over his attack. The yellow blast dissipated, while Piccolo's attack exploded with ferocity, something Nappa didn't count on.

Staggering back through the air, Nappa rubbed his bruised face and gritted his teeth, glaring up at his opponent. "Why…you…!"

Before he could finish his venting, Piccolo shot out of thin air. Just as his body was still clearing he began unleashing a fury of punches and attacks at his opponent, assaulting him with reckless attacks. The Namek yelled as each blow connected with the Saiyan's stomach, chest and face. These blows were meant for the mercenary and were designed to hurt. Nappa felt it alright, with Piccolo's blows beating him up more then any of the other fighter's could. Blood flew from his mouth from an especially hard hook, the Saiyan knocked senseless.

After pressing forward long enough, Piccolo spun through the air and sent a roundhouse kick across Nappa's face. Nappa received it and leapt back, holding up his fists in defense. Both fighters ended up panting for air, exhausted from the effort. Nappa wasn't pleased about being pounded so easily, and was infuriated.

"You…YOU!!! I will kill you Namek!!!" the Saiyan yelled, bringing his fists up and pulled his head back. Opening his mouth wide, a blue ball of energy formed right in front of him, the light shining brightly and catching Piccolo's full attention. Well, so much for a surprise attack.

For the second time, Nappa released a high powered energy attack, a massive blast of energy escaping his mouth as he threw his face forward. The blast ripped through the air and at Piccolo. The Namek dodged it easily, watching as it flew straight passed his previous position and striking a distant mountain, turning it into rubble. Breathing a sigh of relief, Piccolo turned back to his opponent, only to find that Nappa was upon him.

Throwing his fist back, Nappa let out a warrior like roar before sending his fist forward. He struck out at Piccolo, but didn't get all the way when he was suddenly struck in the back of the head by a foot coming out of nowhere. The attack staggered Nappa forward, allowing Piccolo to move around him and fly out of the way. The surprise attack came from Krillin, the short fighter having finally recovered from his recent assault and gang up. Like Piccolo, he was exhausted.

"Man, I don't think I'll be able to keep this up much longer," Krillin panted. Piccolo gulped in saliva, glaring down at Nappa and watching him wheel around. Veins were popping up all over his head and hate filled his eyes. He was seriously pissed. Anyone could tell if you had a homicidal Saiyan like him glaring up at you.

"Me neither. We need to bring him down now!" Piccolo stated. Krillin grinned, shaking from head too toe as he raised his right hand and brought it round.

"No problem!" he exclaimed, charging up his signature move. A golden shaped disk appeared hovering just above his palm, sizzling brightly. With a yell, Krillin cranked his hand back then threw it forward, sending the dangerous attack straight at his target. "DESTRUCTO-DISK!!!"

Nappa saw the attack approaching. He quickly made up his mind about what to do about it and ducked, the disk flying straight for a distant pillar of rock and slicing its top off before it disappeared into the distance. Krillin was taken aback by his long shot miss. Piccolo scowled at him as the monk quivered on the spot.

"Well…he's still alive!" the Namek shouted.

Nappa grinned up at them. "Yeah! And things are about to get even rougher for you two!"

"Make that three!" another voice sounded from above, drawing Nappa's attention skyward.

In a blink of an eye, Nappa was suddenly kicked across the face by the appearance of a new warrior. The tremendous blow sent him soaring straight down to earth, yelling in a semi-conscious state. Piccolo and Krillin were shocked, not by the attack, but by the person who made it. Goku!

The resurrected Saiyan grinned as he watched the large Saiyan fall. "Looks like things are going down hill for you, big guy!" Nappa crashed to the ground, forming an incredibly large crater of himself. Goku, pleased with his work, crossed his arms, smiling cheerfully. "Man…he must be weak…"

Not wasting any time, Piccolo threw his right hand forward, gripping his wrist with his left. With a yell and a tremendous power build up, Piccolo sent an electrical, golden ball flying straight down towards the unconscious Saiyan. The blast struck Nappa in the back, consuming him in a fiery column of death and sending his ashes into the air. Goku yelled in shock at the sudden finishing move, the blast galling upwards towards the group. Krillin wasn't shocked at all, as he had half expected Piccolo to try something like that. Well, it worked. As soon as the fire, smoke and dust cleared, all that was left was a larger, steaming crater.

Piccolo sighed, lowered his arm and returning to a proper standing position. "Well…that's a relief…"

Goku was outraged. He looked at Piccolo in disbelief, eyes wide. "How could you do that, Piccolo?! You can't finish someone off when they're down and defenseless!" Piccolo glared up at his former enemy and spat.

"Well believe me when I say this Goku, he was nothing but a cold, heartless monster. We are grateful that you showed up and all, but you shouldn't take everything in and rationalize it so quickly. That fiend killed Tien, Yamcha and Chouzu! They're all dead!" Piccolo explained. Goku didn't expect to hear that and was sent into a new world of disbelief and shock.

"WHAT! NO!" Goku yelled, shaking his head. "That can't be! It's…it's not…" He couldn't finish. He grabbed his hair and pulled, gritting his teeth and shutting his eyes. He shook his head even more, hitting himself. "AArrgghh! I didn't get here fast enough! I was too late to help! But…hang on!" Goku looked up and started wheeling around, searching the skies and area frantically. "Where's Gohan! Please tell me he's alright!"

Piccolo snorted. He was surprised by the older Saiyan's actions. Guess those fatherhood senses are starting to kick in. He sighed and pointed towards the deserts beyond them. "He's out there, fighting the other guy," Piccolo said. Goku and Krillin looked as well, just in time to see an explosion erupted around a mountain, demolishing it, followed by a echoing yell. It obviously came from Vegeta.

Goku blinked in disbelief. "H-he's fighting t-that _guy_! But he…when…how!?"

Krillin blinked up at the older Saiyan. "Yeah Goku, your son's fighting him. I'm just as surprised as you are at how Gohan's able to do that." Piccolo just stared off in the direction of the fight taking place, the Namek cracking his neck and rubbing his shoulders.

"The kid is tough. He doesn't need our help, he'll be fine," Piccolo said.

As the three watched the fight go on from afar, Goku took the time to think and extend his senses out towards his son. He became aware of the child's extraordinary power, as well as the big change in his ki signature. But there was also something else, something he couldn't describe. By watching and observing through ki sense, Goku was able to see how much his son had changed on the inside. He was somehow, different. He was no longer a child, but a fighter at heart. His spirit and strength soared higher then even he had anticipated. Goku was awed by the sight, the thoughts making him smile.

Vegeta let out a yell as he side-stepped another downward sword strike from Gohan, making him shift back through the air to avoid the next attacks. The young Saiyan followed, continuously attacking and not letting Vegeta get the chance to attack back. He swung his sword at Vegeta, keeping his technique in check. The blade flashed passed Vegeta who was floating back fast, ducking and side shifting away from the swift strikes as best he could. With Gohan's enhanced strength and speed, he was able to keep the Saiyan prince on the ropes. But even Vegeta wasn't going to throw in the towel so easily.

Leaping over Gohan's mid-section aimed strike, but not attacking at risk of being struck by the sword, the prince soared straight up into the sky, aura flaring. Gohan followed him with his eyes, sword already held ready for a counter attack. His fingers glided and tapped against the handle, getting his digits into comfortable positions. However, instead of seeing the incoming brunt of a punch or a kick, Gohan saw that Vegeta had retreated up to another hundred meters above him before stopping above the earth where the birds flew. The flame haired Saiyan had something cooked up, and the Saiyan child had a hunch about what it was.

Vegeta gritted his teeth, his aura turning purple as he cupped his hands and brought them about to his right. With his left hand laid up against his right, a purple energy ball crackled to life, energy building up within it. As soon as it was about medium strength, Vegeta grinned.

"You are stronger then I had counted on kid! But let's see if you've got what it takes to take on my Gallic Gun!" Vegeta yelled, his voice reaching Gohan's ears.

Drawn to the challenge and the threat of this attack, Gohan sheathed his sword onto his back and took a firm stance. His blue aura erupted around him, waving his clothes and hair. His energy gathered, and he took his stance, glaring up at the prince high above him. With his right hand drawn back behind him, the young Saiyan prepared to unleash his attack. A blue orb of electrical energy appeared in his palm, crackling and zapping as the energy began coursing into it. It grew and grew, just like Vegeta's. Speaking of which, the Saiyan prince was grinning wildly, seeing that Gohan was actually going to stand up to him for this one.

"Well, I see you're not backing down! Alright then, GALIC GUN FIIIIIRRRRREEEEEEEE!!!!" Vegeta yelled, throwing his hands forward and unleashing his attack. The enormous, purple blast roared out of his palms and shot like a meteor straight down to earth, the prince keeping a strong connection with it.

Gohan saw the blast approaching, with the child allowing it to get close enough for him to strike it. His tail waved behind him, showing his eagerness. As he and his eyes glowed in the light of the fast approaching attack, his mind worked its magic.

"_Let one live without sin, and help others who live in darkness find the light?"_ he asked himself, his attack continuing to gather energy. It sparked soundly, announcing its high charge. Gohan flinched. _"Blessed are those who have strength in their voice…"_

With the coming attack having drew within the proximity not long waited, Gohan pivoted and sent his body weight forward. With a yell of energy and strength, he threw his right hand forward and unleashed a powerful energy blast straight up into Vegeta's attack. The golden blast pierced Vegeta's attack, stopping it in its tracks before growing at a phenomenal rate, sending itself and the prince's attack right back at its owner. Vegeta was shocked.

"What! NO!" he cried, sending all the energy he could muster into his attack to try and push Gohan's back. But unable to draw the necessary force and required energy, he could do nothing.

Goku, Piccolo and Krillin watched from their point in the distance, seeing with their amazed eyes as Gohan's attack consumed Vegeta's before striking down the prince. Vegeta's cry sounded as he was sent hurling back from the reaction his blast had upon release with Gohan's blast continuing on and exploding with colossal force. Energy debris littered the skies, scarring Vegeta and weakening his already exhausted state. With the disappearance of both attacks, Gohan dropped back into a standing position, watching as Vegeta plummeted back to earth.

Drawing up whatever strength he had left in reserve, Vegeta curled up into a ball and spun through the air. Slowing himself down, he landed with a light tap on top of a flat peaked, rocky mountain. The Prince of all Saiyans panted heavily as he glared across the canyon like landscapes towards the Saiyan child standing on the other mountain a hundred meters away. Bruised and battered badly, and bleeding from several wounds with his outfit all torn up, Vegeta's furiousness grew.

"T-This is impossible! H-How can a…a light weight Saiyan brat…a no good kid…beat me, the Saiyan Prince?! I…I am the strongest in the universe!!!" Vegeta growled, balling his fists and venting himself the best way he can. Shutting his eyes he threw his head back and arms out, letting out a loud, yell. "DAAAAARRRRRNNNNN IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTT!!!"

That cry of outrage echoed throughout the entire area, catching the attentions of Piccolo, Krillin and Goku. Gohan was merely staring at him, showing absolutely no emotion. When Vegeta eventually calmed down, he was panting again, glaring up at Gohan with glaring eyes. After several breaths, he looked down, his fists tightening. But then, he looked up, a renewed smile on his face. The Saiyan prince chuckled and pointed up at Gohan.

"If you think it's over…think again," Vegeta hissed, grinning sinisterly. Gohan raised an eyebrow. "Just watch as I transform into a Great Ape, and crush you like a bug!"

Holding up his right hand, Vegeta produced a golden orb of energy. The ball popped up instantaneously, making Gohan take a defensive stance to prepare for the next attack. When it was thought Vegeta was about to throw the orb at him, he took a different turn and threw the ball straight up into the air. It flew up into the sky high and out of reach. As soon as it had gained enough altitude, Vegeta pointed at it.

"EXPAND AND GRANT ME POWER!!!" Vegeta yelled, flicking at the flying energy ball, sending a shot of ki straight at it. Gohan and all the remaining Z-fighters present had to shield their eyes as a blinding flash of light consumed them all, temporarily making their vision white and bright. As soon as the fuzziness had died down, they could all see again. The next time Gohan looked up into the sky, he saw a giant replica of the moon. It took its place beside the sun, far bigger then it and illuminating the skies. Gohan was shocked.

Wheeling round, he turned back to Vegeta. "How did you do that!?" But he didn't receive an answer, for Vegeta was going through a incredible transformation.

The Saiyan's muscles throbbed and crew, his eyes blanking and a crazed expression coming into play. His power hungry eyes stared up at the artificial moon he had created, drawing strength from it and causing a chain reaction. Gohan watched in utter horror as Vegeta grew, his muscles expanding and his height growing a meter per second. His tail uncurled and waved outwards, and fur started to grow from his skin in all exposed areas. All his wounds were still there and they grew, but they all looked to have healed just slightly. The transformation continued. The suit he wore expanded with him, able to stretch to great lengths without putting any strain on it. With the continuation of his transformation, the mountain collapsed beneath him, crushed by his enormous feet. Within thirty seconds time, Vegeta had grown into a gigantic beast…the Oozaru! With glowing red eyes and razor sharp teeth lining that long muzzle of his, the transformed prince let out a roar and glared down at Gohan, grinning.

"HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!! In my giant ape state, you will be no competition to me! My power has just increased ten fold! You will never win brat!" Vegeta declared, his voice booming loudly. Gohan was gaping, backing away slowly on his position at top of his mountain that was insignificant compared to Vegeta's new size.

"W-Wow…what a transformation!" Gohan whispered. Vegeta chuckled, his fists balling.

"If you think that's incredible, I'll prove it to you how strong I have become!" Vegeta shouted. Rearing his head back, the ape suddenly threw it forward again and opened his maw to a gaping extent. In just a split second, a pink, megaton blast of energy shot forth from his mouth, devouring Gohan in an instant and sending Gohan in a whirlwind of turbulence and fire. Gohan let out a cry as he was sent hurling through the air and sent directly into a mountain. Combined with the blast and the collision, the mountain was reduced to rubble, with Gohan being buried under the former natural structure's remains.

Seeing clouds of dust rise and the mountain disappear in the distance, Vegeta let out a cruel laugh and leered in the direction he had just blasted his opponent.

"So you see, I am unstoppable now! HA-HA-HA…!"

"KAMEHAME HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" a voice sounded.

Vegeta spun round, looking up to see who it was yelling and producing that large amount of energy. Instead, the already battle scarred Saiyan got struck directly in his right eye as the powerful blast fired by the unknown fighter hit on home. Oozaru Vegeta roared in pain and staggered back, gripping his smoking face. After toppling various hills and mountains, he glared up once more with a ash cross, bruised eye to see who it was that had attacked him. Looking up, he saw a new fighter dressed in an orange and blue gi with black, spiky hair sticky out in all directions. Both palms held towards the giant ape, the freshly trained fighter Goku prepared for a fight. Vegeta growled.

"Kakarot! I should have thought you'd try a foolish attack like that!" Vegeta grumbled. Goku grinned and took a stance.

"Not foolish, just a failed attempt," Goku exclaimed. Vegeta grinned menacingly.

"Well, you got that right!" With a roar, Vegeta shot up into the sky, using super speed to gain an advantage. Goku was shocked beyond belief at the speed the ape used and backed away, trying to get a lock onto his target. When he finally did, he found Vegeta's ki directly above him and looked up. As soon as he did, he saw the giant Saiyan appear out of thin air and suddenly plummet towards him, arms crossed over his chest in attack. Goku yelled in shock just before Vegeta struck him, plummeting towards the ground where Goku found himself crushed into the ground. He screamed in agony.

Vegeta chuckled and got to his feet, balling his fists. He raised his foot, getting ready to crush his opponent. Just as he was about to bring his foot down on his new foe who was slowly getting to his feet in spite of several broken bones, Vegeta caught another yell from a distance and spun around, his foot landing elsewhere to balance him.

"DESTRUCTIVE WAVE!" the rough voice yelled, a orange ball of power energy soaring from a distance and straight at the giant ape. Vegeta caught the blast directly in the chest, the explosion greater then he had anticipated but still only a minor hit. Winded, Vegeta staggered back, glaring up again to see who had hit him. When he did, he saw the Namek hovering out of reach, left hand raised towards him with his right hand cuffing his wrist. Piccolo was shocked that his attack had no effect. Vegeta chuckled.

"FOOL!" he roared, leaning forward into a sprinting stance before disappearing into super speed. The ground around the desert shook violently with mountains suddenly becoming crushed as an invisible, lightning fast monster ran straight for its next target.

Piccolo was unable to act fast enough when suddenly, Vegeta appeared out of nowhere and sent a hook directly at him. The enlarged knuckles slammed into Piccolo with such force it sent the Namek flying into a distant mountain, crashing seconds later and turning it into rubble. Just as the remains piled on top of him as they did to Gohan, Vegeta opened his mouth towards the collapsing structure and unleashed another powerful blast. The pink blast soared straight for the cloud of dust, with an incredible, atomic like explosion following its impact.

Vegeta pulled back and grunted in disinterest. The Namek had put up no descent fight whatsoever. He turned around, towards his other two targets. But just as he did, Goku flashed right in front of him and flew at his face, pounding him with hard, relentless punches. The older Saiyan yelled with each blow connecting with the giant ape's face, Vegeta grunting as each blow struck. The Oozaru stepped back, continuously being hit.

Finishing off his assault, Goku pulled his right leg round and sent a powerful roundhouse kick at Vegeta. The blow knocked Vegeta slightly to the side, but the blow only encouraged Vegeta to continue. He returned to glare at Goku hovering just meters away from him, a grin on his face. Goku was shocked.

Just as he was about to attack again, Vegeta reached up with his right hand so fast, the spiky haired warrior found himself encased in a tight, bone crunching grip. Goku screamed in pain with the encasement, trying to get out of it but found that he couldn't move. Vegeta brought the Saiyan towards him and leered, grinning wildly.

"Do you think your puny attacks would be able to harm me?!" Vegeta asked loudly. Goku growled and glared, his muscles throbbing with pain. It shot through him like being dropped in ice cold water. However, his determination was even stronger and Goku resulted to a new tactic. Balling his fists beneath Vegeta's large fingers, the Saiyan powered up.

"N-No…Kaioken times TWO!!!" Goku yelled at the top of his lungs, a red aura suddenly surrounding him and Vegeta's fist. The giant ape holding him felt a stinging sensation in his palm before his fingers were forcefully lifted. Goku kicked and punched his way out, shooting forward with great speed and sending a double hammer whopper across the older Saiyan's face. Vegeta growled from the blow, the earth shaking punch sending him staggering back. Goku let out another yell and honed in on his assault, flying forwards and soaring straight for Vegeta's stomach. Cranking back his fists, Goku began hammering blows into the Oozaru's gut, forcing him back. But he soon realized that his assault was to be for nothing.

Vegeta glared down at Goku and growled, trying to keep himself in focus through the midget Saiyan's efforts. "Why…you…Kaka…rot! Knock…it…OFF!!!" Vegeta yelled. Raising his right fist up, he sent it straight down at Goku. However, the red glowing Saiyan shot back, avoiding the strike before flying straight up, pulling his right fist back to attack.

Before he could, Vegeta swiped up, back slapping Goku away. This time, the Saiyan did get hit. As soon as he was sent flying, his aura vanished. Seconds after being struck, thanks to his endurance and strength, Goku managed to regain all his senses and flip back into submission. Gaining control over his flight, he began falling back. He needed to distract Vegeta's attention away from his son for as long as possible.

But as he was leaping from mountain to mountain and flying at speeds faster then the speed of sound, Goku found himself being pursued by the massive Saiyan. Looking to his right, he saw the giant Oozaru right beside him traveling at the same speed, grinning maniacally. The older Saiyan was shocked, but Vegeta was going to wipe that right off his face.

"So long Kakarot!!!" the Oozaru roared, raising his left hand towards him and unleashing a powerful, blue blast. Goku was hit while still in mid-flight, getting knocked in another direction and crashing into a mountain. It crumpled beneath him, rubble surrounding him within seconds and a cloud of dust rising into the air. His momentum ceased instantaneously, which was why he didn't keep on flying.

As the Saiyan struggled to get to his feet again, he was suddenly picked up by Vegeta again. This time, the grip the Oozaru had him in was stronger then before. As soon as he was brought up to Vegeta's glare, Goku felt himself get crushed as the giant ape's grip tightened.

Vegeta laughed out loud and gripped the hand that held Goku with his other hand, tightening it even more. "You are finished Kakarot! Just watch as I crush…you…for…good…NOW!!!"

Goku screamed in agony, feeling his bones grind and break. Every part of his body became numb as Vegeta's crushing took a greater toll on him. Adding up to all the bruises and wounds he had already received, the pains of being both straggled and squished in the hands of a giant monster made it all worse. The Saiyan couldn't do anything. He could not muster any energy or strength whatsoever to break out of this lock this time. Vegeta grinned, the sounds of Goku's screams reaching his ears and driving him on to further torture the spiky haired hero.

Meanwhile, as Goku was being subjected to the worse kind of pains imaginable, emerging from distant rubble reduced mountain was the young Saiyan Gohan. The child burst out of the rocks and boulders, sending them away as he broke out of his supposed tomb and into the light of day. Panting heavily and covered in newly acquainted bruises, Gohan looked up with one eye half lidded and a pained look on his face.

"Darn…how can Vegeta harness such power…it's incredible…" Gohan choked out, shaking from head to toe. That was exactly what he wanted to know? How? It was not possible for him to acquire such strength in such a short time. But then again…the answer was so simple…

Gohan gasped and looked up, straight towards the moon that the mercenary Saiyan had projected not too long ago. It shone brightly in its place, glowing in Gohan's eyes and drawing all his senses towards it. The depth and magnitude it possessed wasn't at all different from the ordinary moon, but this somehow felt…familiar. The young Saiyan child felt a strong power surge through him, a long forgotten feeling of a sort. It was something he only experienced once a month, at the sight of the full moon as it rose into the night sky. This time, there was no beautiful sight of stars silhouetted against the dark sky or a wonderful landscape to marvel over. This was the creation of a fiend from outer space, who was right now tearing all of them to shreds. Gohan had to act…

And his power source would come from the very moon created by the prince of darkness…

Gohan smiled, his eyes shining before suddenly turning a bright teal. His energy started to grow…and grow!

"_This will be my key…"_

Vegeta growled as he continued applying pressure to Goku, slowly crushing him in his large hands. He tightened and tightened, but to no avail as Goku was still alive and well. The enlarged, transformed prince bared his teeth venomously and glared hatefully at his foe. The spiky haired hero wailed and struggled, his head shaking about to throw off the pain. Every bone in his body felt like it had been broken, and the numbness had increased as well. All the blood was building, and felt as though it would burst out of him. For a normal human being, it was like being coiled and crushed by an anaconda.

The Prince of all Saiyans shook, putting all the strength he could into this. "Why…won't…you…die…Kakarot!? WHY?!"

Just as Vegeta was about to finish him, his ears twitched at a familiar sound. Extending his senses out quickly, he detected the incoming energy sign of an attack coming from behind and he quickly jumped, avoiding what he saw whizzing off into the distance what appeared to be a golden disk. Landing with a earthquake level crash, he turned round towards its source. There, standing on a distant hill was the short, bald fighter. Krillin had his right hand held towards the ape and panting heavily. Vegeta grinned.

"PAH! You'll have to do better then that bald-head. It will take more then that to surprise me!" Vegeta shouted. Sensing another ki close by and hearing a twinge of metal, Vegeta stepped to the side and swung his tail about, avoiding what he saw was a fat man with a katana sword jumping at his tail, slicing out with his weapon. Yajirobee, apparently, attempted to cripple Vegeta's weaning victory by cutting off his tail, but unfortunately, he missed.

"HA! No chance you insects! I'll crush you all!!!" he yelled, stomping around, Goku still held in a tight grip. However, just as he was turning to face off against Krillin and the fallen Yajirobee, he saw a flash of light out of the corner of his eye, followed by a sharp pain that skinned across his knuckle. The giant ape let out a roar of pain and released his hold on Goku, the Saiyan falling from his hands and towards the ground. He landed with a heavy, uncontrolled thud, his limbs falling limp and his state waning near to unconsciousness.

Staggering back, Oozaru Vegeta spun around and glared in the direction he saw the flash of light come from. In the distance, no more then 300 meters stood a newly energized Gohan, his hand held out and palm sizzling from the release of his blast. Lowering his hand, the Saiyan child glared up at the transformed prince and smirked.

"_No you won't your lordship…because I'm not going to let you,"_ Gohan said in a distant, mysterious and deeper voice. His voice echoed as if he had transformed into an Oozaru himself, but he wasn't one. He was still in his normal form, but his eyes were shining a colorful teal and his clothes, hair and body seemed to lift thanks to a invisible energy force.

When Vegeta saw and heard the half-breed child, he growled and turned towards him, dropped in a stance and facing off, front to front with his old opponent. Gohan wasn't afraid, now that he had found the light he had been looking for. The giant ape muttered under his breath about the annoyance these Z-fighters were to him and hissed.

"So you're back brat! Ready for another beating?" the prince asked with forced up happiness. Gohan chuckled, his fists balling at his sides and a transparent, blue aura starting to radiate off of him. The winds around him seemed to increase all the more, his energy level rising further and further.

"_No, in fact, why don't we turn that proclamation around?" _Gohan asked the prince, his aura suddenly exploding around him and forming a crater beneath him. Just as it did, he began to float up into the air off his own accord, his warping energy growing fiercer. It soon became so fierce, that his aura took the form of a tornado, taking in debris and rubble around him so that it spun in the funnel surrounding him. Vegeta was shocked.

"W-What is this?!" the Oozaru shouted, stepping back. Gohan's tornado of an aura then suddenly expanded rapidly, growing so large that it would be able to fit Oozaru Vegeta in twice. The young Saiyan hovering within the aura was still smirking at Vegeta, fists balled and eyes glowing. His aura was now a pure blue.

"_Your defeat Vegeta. The artificial moon you created, not only works for you…but for me as well. If you thought I was strong then…wait till you see my powers now!"_ Gohan said, raising his right hand towards the giant ape. Vegeta backed off even more, shocked by the amount of power being displayed. Goku, Krillin, Yajirobee and Piccolo, who had just recently dug himself out of his rocky prison, were watching in awe from where they stood.

With his hand raised towards Vegeta and palm crackling with blue electricity, Gohan charged his attack. The bright blue ball of energy appeared right in front of his hand, sizzling and glowing brightly. His aura grew even more, the energy gather being greater then even Vegeta himself could muster in his present state.

Before the prince could take any emergency measures, Gohan unleashed with attack. In a bright flash of light, he fired his blast at Vegeta. At first it started off as a basic blast, but when it was within striking range of its target, it expanded instantaneously to triple Vegeta's size. It tackled the Oozaru head on, absorbing him into its fiery depths and burning him raw. The Saiyan prince's giant ape roar of agony echoed for a moment before dying out…swallowed up by the blast. In spite of this, he continued to roar silently, the blast burning away at him and damaging him severely. Just as it thought he was about to be completely destroyed, his tail was burnt away, leaving nothing left but the furry patch at the base where it started. As soon as it was turned to ash, Vegeta began averting back to his original state.

In response to the prince's degeneration, Gohan changed his blast's strength and target, sending its brunt upwards towards the artificial moon. With a bellowing explosion, the blast hit on home, annihilating the moon and sending its energy debris everywhere. Those shards disappeared soon after, followed shortly by Gohan's blast dissipating.

The light of the yellow moon, aura and blast died out. This resulted in the landscapes returning to their normal tonnages and color. As soon as it did though, the scene was drawn back to Gohan who was now hovering in a smaller aura, eyes still colored teal. With his hand still raised towards the skies, the young Saiyan dropped out of his powered up state and relaxed, his tail waving happily behind him. With his arm lowered back to his side, the half-breed breathed a sigh of relief, looking down. It was after that quick breather he turned to the area where his father lay. He was already accompanied by Krillin, Piccolo and Yajirobee, all of them staring up at Gohan in awe.

The young Saiyan chuckled and flew down to meet them, reaching them seconds later. Touching down, he walked over to his friends who smiled in greeting.

"That was awesome Gohan! You were amazing! You beat that monster Vegeta with ease!" Krillin exclaimed, showing his joy despite his wounds. Piccolo nodded, arms crossed.

"Yeah. That was some fine work kid. I knew you could pull it off," the Namek continued in favor. Yajirobee nodded, sword sheathed and several bruises dotting him. Even though he wasn't here for much of the fight, that fall after his attempted surprise attack on Vegeta sure put some damage on him.

"Heh, you sure are one powerful fighter, and that's coming from a guy who doesn't give many positive comments. I have my limits," Yajirobee said. Krillin looked at him oddly.

"Yeah, yeah…whatever pal," Krillin replied. Gohan just smiled at is friends.

"Gee…thanks guys. You all fought well too you know. We worked together, and we won," Gohan said, tilting his head. The small group had to agree with what he said and settled for it. The child had other things to do as well. Walking through the gap provided by Piccolo and Krillin, he knelt beside his father. Goku grinned up at his son and tried to give him the thumbs up, but couldn't. So he just smiled.

"Hey dad, how do you feel?" Gohan asked. His father chuckled.

"A few…broken bones but…I'll live. Hey…great job…son," Goku jeered. Gohan's eyes wavered, a happy smile on his face.

"Thanks dad…"

Krillin, who was watching the pair, rubbed the back of his head and looked up, sighing. "Man, I could sure use some time off for that. Perhaps rest up for a moment or two after going to the doctor to check myself out…" Piccolo nodded in agreement.

"You can say that again…"

Suddenly, before the group could sink into a real conversation, they heard the whistle of what they assumed was an incoming missile. But seconds after hearing it, they looked several meters out to their left where they saw Vegeta's battered, bloodied, burnt and bruised body crash to the ground from the high altitudes of the sky above. His deep fried body was still emitting a ki and showing signs of life, which meant he was still alive.

Aware that he was outnumbered and beaten, Vegeta knew he had to get away. As much as he hated the idea of running, he had no other choice. Pulling out a handheld remote, he dialed in a calling number and fell back, watching and waiting. About twenty seconds after dialing in the security nodes, his ship flew into view, settling just feet away from him. Gohan stood up, seeing Vegeta crawl over to the space pod, its hatch opening up.

For a brief moment, the Saiyan child felt sorry for him, seeing him beaten up and defenseless like that. The thought of how Vegeta felt whenever he was faced with a vision like this never came to him. But whatever it was, the feeling to kill an unarmed, wounded man, woman or child…was just sick. That's all Gohan knew…

Goku, Piccolo, Krillin and Yajirobee watched too, seeing Vegeta try to clamber into the pod. The Saiyan prince was cursing and muttering to himself, overcome with pain.

"D-Darn it all…! D-Damn t-t-those…trash…s-sewer rats! I-I I'll g-get t-t-them for t-this outrage. B-But I…c-can't…move," Vegeta muttered with a shaky voice.

Suddenly, as he was looking around, Gohan walked up to him and grabbed him by the shoulder. Turning him around, the young Saiyan pinned him to the side of his space pod and, in a blink of an eye, drew his sword. Twirling it in his hand, he pointed the tip directly in between Vegeta's eyes just millimeters away. It was from his perspective did he see fear written all over the prince's face for the first time ever. Gohan flinched, but held his sword in place.

Vegeta choked. "Go ahead…d-do it! I-If you h-h-have any h-heart of a t-true S-Saiyan…kill me!" the prince growled with a rough voice.

Gohan glared hard. _"Who can gaze into the mirror without becoming evil? A mirror doesn't reflect evil, but creates it. Therefore, one should only take a glance at the mirror, and not stare into it…"_ he said, loud enough for the others to hear. Vegeta looked at him through both eyes, though finding it hard because of the state he was in. He was inwardly confused, and surprised at the same time. Gohan smiled, spinning the sword in his hand before slipping it back into his sheath. He shoved Vegeta back into the side of his ship in warning, watching him slide back down.

"I'm giving you a second chance Vegeta. Everyone deserves one, no matter who he or she is. If given the chance, I hope you would do the same…and allow another to live," Gohan said. With a final glance, he turned his back on Vegeta and walked away. The prince, having heard Gohan's words, slipped into his pod, shaking and barely staying conscious. The young Saiyan's words had pierced him deep.

As soon as he was in, he glared over at the group, teeth gritted and still trembling. But then, when he saw Gohan turn to him, his anger seemed to sink away. He sighed. When he looked at Gohan, he nodded to him and grinned.

"H-Hear this Kakabrat…one d-day…we w-will have a re-match. J-Just the t-two of us," Vegeta stated, still grinning. "A-And mark my w-words…I w-will…b-beat you…"

Gohan smiled in return and nodded.

"I'm looking forward to it," he replied.

With no other words to be said, the space pod's hatch closed up and, with a quick charge up, the pod lifted off the ground and shot off into the skies. Within seconds, it disappeared into space, with the Z-warriors watching from far below. Gohan had that fighter's smirk in play as he watched the Saiyan prince disappear into the distance. Goku was smiling as well, while Piccolo, Krillin and Yajirobee just stared.

"Hey…son," Goku called. Gohan looked over at his dad, blinking.

"Yes father…"

Goku grinned and nodded to him, one eye open.

"You did the right thing…I'm proud of you…"

Gohan smiled.

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	7. Journey to Namek

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Journey to Namek_

The battle against the Saiyans and death itself was a historic one year war. Since Radditz's arrival, the end of the world felt as if it had dawned on the people of this planet. When Vegeta and Nappa arrived, with the Z-fighters emerging relatively intact, they could safely say the battle was finally over. But there was a problem…Tien, Yamcha and Chouzu have all been killed in action. The three brave warriors had met their end at the hands of Nappa, which brought sadness and displeasure down on the remaining fighters. Krillin and Goku were upset, while Piccolo and Gohan had a sense of distaste stuck on their tongues. It was a heart breaking moment.

Helping Goku up, at the same time making sure they didn't injure him or cause him anymore pain, Krillin and Yajirobee prepped him for transportation. Piccolo, now dressed in a sporting new gi, turban and all, also pitched in by getting the man to his feet. Gohan was about to help too, only to catch a glitter in the distance. Turning around, Gohan spotted something shiny out of the corner of his eye. The gleam of silver and the feeling of uncertainty came over him. Whatever it was, it was tiny…barely matching the size of a mosquito.

Blinking a couple of times, enhancing his view on the small object, the young Saiyan scowled and raised his hand towards it. He was for certain that it was the same thing he had sensed right before the Saiyans arrived. It was like being followed by a mysterious omen.

Without a second thought, Gohan fired a blast straight for the tiny object. The blast incinerated it, as well as several other structures around it. Hearing the blast, Piccolo, Krillin and Goku turned to stare at Gohan. The young Saiyan lowered his arm and turned around, staring back at them with one of his serious expressions in play.

"What was that for, Gohan?" Krillin asked. Gohan shrugged, looking back over at the small, sizzling trench he had created in the earth.

"Don't know. But something told me it was something bad," the child replied. Krillin and Goku blinked, while Piccolo stared at his pupil, nodding affirmatively. Perhaps it was best to trust Gohan's senses, seeing as that his abilities to sense and react on instinct were far superior to their own.

"Well, whatever it was, we'd best drop it and get Goku to a hospital," Yajirobee said, repositioning Goku's arm over him so that it was easier to carry him. "As soon as he is stitched up, I'll fly back to the Look Out and get some Senzu beans. It might take me a while though…"

Krillin nodded. "Yeah, that sounds like a good plan." Goku chuckled, looking up at his friends.

"Yeah…it's great!" the Saiyan exclaimed happily. His present state was killing him.

Gohan and Piccolo smiled at Goku, but seconds after turning their attention to him, they were drawn to the sound of an aircraft approaching. All those who were capable of sensing energy signals, caught onto the faint flickers of familiar ki signatures. As soon as their senses were locked on, they saw a blue hover-jet come in from the distance and come to land some distance away on the flat ground. With its engines slowly shutting down, the main door opened, expelling a set of stairs. As soon as the winds died out, the rest of the Z-gang appeared. Chi-Chi rushed out first, followed by Bulma, Master Roshi, Puar and Oolong. The group scattered out onto the desert, catching sight of the battle worn Z-warriors and running over to them. Out of all of them, Chi-Chi was the most frantic.

"GOHAN!" Chi-Chi exclaimed, swooping down towards her child who backed away in fear of being tackled. Instead, the Son mother encased him in a tight hug, lifting him off the ground and crushing him. The Saiyan child squirmed a bit before finally being lowered back down to earth. Placing her hands on his shoulders, Chi-Chi pulled back and looked her son over. "My baby! Are you OK? Are you hurt anywhere?" the mother asked, bombarding him with questions. Gohan smiled and nodded affirmatively.

"I'm fine mom, there's nothing to worry about," Gohan replied. Chi-Chi was surprised by the depth in her son's voice. It was far beyond the speech in which he used a year ago. She hasn't seen or heard of him since. It was strange, and unfamiliar to her.

She let go of him momentarily, blinking in awe as she stared into his eyes. The mother noted that they were also different. "G-Gohan…what…what happened to you??" she turned and stared up at the Namek, the one who had taken him. "What have you done with my baby?"

Piccolo rolled his eyes and turned away, arms still crossed over his chest. Seriously, the one thing he couldn't stand in this world was baby talk, especially when it was coming from Chi-Chi. The woman had tears in her eyes and looked to be on the verge of crying. But as she was trembling on the spot, Gohan tapped her on the shoulder, drawing her attention back to him. Compared to his loving mother, he was insignificant. But when it came to other fighters, he excelled above all.

"Mom…I've been through some changes OK, but that doesn't mean I'm not the son you raised," Gohan said, still smiling. "I'm still here aren't I?"

Chi-Chi blinked once…then twice, still staring at her son with uncertainty. But seconds later, the Son mother brightened up. Smiling, wiping away her tears and nodding to her five year old child, she placed her hands on his shoulders and gave them reassuring squeezes.

"Of course I still love you, Gohan. How can I not love my only son?" Chi-Chi asked, taking him into another hug. This time, Gohan returned it. As they embraced, Master Roshi, Oolong, Puar and Bulma were checking up on Goku. Piccolo couldn't care less what was going on around him and just stared in some random direction.

After a moment's embrace, Chi-Chi took Gohan by the shoulders again and beamed at him. "Well, I'm so glad you're safe, Gohan. You have a lot of catching up to do. I've got to start you on Calculus right away!" the woman exclaimed. Gohan chuckled and backed away nervously, holding his hands up. His wayward action shocked Chi-Chi.

"Uhh…no thanks mom…we've got bigger problems to deal with. Besides…I already know Calculus," the young Saiyan replied nervously. Chi-Chi scowled, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh really? And what makes you think you can defy your mother's good intentions like this?" Chi-Chi asked sternly. Gohan just smiled at her casually and placed his fists on his hips.

"Like I said, I've been through some changes, mom. My six month journey has given me time to think…and to start off anew. Unfortunately we have delved into something deep, and I won't stop until this is all over," Gohan stated. Chi-Chi frowned even more, narrowing her eyes onto her son. Gohan shook his head firmly. "I don't want to become a scholar mom; I want to become a fighter just like dad and the others. It feels right for me…" Piccolo snorted. It was obvious Gohan was already way into the fighting thing.

"And what makes you think I'm going to go along with th…hang on!" Chi-Chi stepped forward and bent over, looking at her son in surprise. "Gohan did you study philosophy while you were away?" the mother asked, having finally reacted to his maturity. Gohan shrugged.

"If you mean meditation, then yes," Gohan replied. Chi-Chi sighed and stood up, looking up into the skies above her, lost.

"Ugh…what am I going to do with you? Not wanting to be a scholar...(sigh)" Chi-Chi wondered, shaking her head and walking over to Goku. Finding no point in arguing with her son at this point, she gave up and decided to go check on her husband. When she finally saw the state he was in, she let out a scream and swooped in to nurse him.

"OH KAMI! GOKU! ARE YOU OKAY?! AAAAAHHH!!! We have to get you to a hospital!" Chi-Chi shouted, looking him over from had to toe, making sure everything was there. Who knows what could have happened.

Krillin and Yajirobee, the two who were holding the older Saiyan up tried to hold back their fear. Krillin was injured himself, plus Yajirobee had no strength to guard himself against the rampaging woman. The continuous bombardment of worries was making the two nervous as hell.

"Yeah…we were kinda…hoping to get him there now," Krillin said. Yajirobee nodded in agreement. Chi-Chi frowned and placed her hands on her fists, glaring down at her husband.

"Well, it serves him right anyway. I told him fighting doesn't solve any problems. If you play with fire, you are going to get burnt," Chi-Chi stated. Krillin and Yajirobee looked at Goku, seeing him flash them a grin before falling limp again due to exhaustion.

"Gee…how does he do it?" Yajirobee asked. Master Roshi used this moment to cut into the conversation and walked over, taking a look at Goku and his wounds.

"Who knows? He's just one tough fighter, that's all I can say," the turtle hermit continued. He looked up at Krillin and raised an eyebrow. "So…did he beat the Saiyans or what? Care to fill me in?"

Krillin looked down at the ground and sighed. "Well…Piccolo, Tien, Yamcha, Chouzu, Goku and I fought and beat one of them…and…Gohan defeated the other. He got away, but Gohan saved us all from getting crushed," Krillin exclaimed. Master Roshi raised an eyebrow and glanced at Gohan, as did everyone else. Gohan was standing beside Piccolo, with his back turned towards the group and was staring off in the same direction he was.

"You don't say," Master Roshi whispered in amazement, his sunglasses flashing. Krillin nodded.

"Yup…you know he's the one we should really be thanking. But how much he's changed…I think he would be more comfortable if we just let him be," the monk continued. While Master Roshi was staring at Gohan in thought, Bulma walked up to Krillin. With the most worried expression in play, the blue haired scientist began speaking with the bald monk. Since he was the only one to turn too for answers at this point, she had no other choice.

"Krillin…what happened to Yamcha? Is he alright?" Bulma asked hopefully. Krillin knew this was coming. Sighing sadly, he looked back up at the blue haired woman and shook his head. Bulma felt a sharp tinge in her heart and stepped back, shocked. She knew this was coming.

"Sorry Bulma but…" Krillin began. "Yamcha was killed in the battle with the Saiyans. So did Tien and Chouzu. They all sacrificed themselves to save us." The bald haired monk looked away, unable to say anymore. Bulma, feeling the weight of despair coming down on her, looked down as well. Yajirobee was just forced to listen and stand in the same place, with Goku hanging on by a limb to keep himself conscious. The uncomfortable position he was in however kept him awake.

Oolong and Puar were also upset at the loss of their friends, especially Puar. The flying cat sobbed and floated down to the ground, curling into a ball.

"N-No…poor Yamcha," he squeaked. Oolong patted him on the back, hoping it would calm him down.

"Its okay buddy, it will be fine. We can just wish him back to life," the pig said. Piccolo caught onto this with his sharp ears and looked at the group, his serious expression still up.

"Hey!" he called out. "If you all haven't forgotten, we can't wish back one of the three who have been lost. Sure we can bring Yamcha and Tien back to life, but Chouzu's already been wished back once, and Shenron can't bring back the same person twice. '_One can only have two chances';_ It's his law."

The entire Z-gang was brought down by this statement. Well, all except Goku, who had once again drifted into a semi-conscious state. However, in spite of everything else, he could still hear them, and was disappointed by the fact that Chouzu was gone for good. However, before the entire realization could dawn on the group, Gohan stepped into the fray of statements and comments. A fact that was kept out of the dark for over two hours resurfaced, thanks to his intervention.

"Don't get so down in the dumps just yet guys, there's still one hope left," Gohan said, walking into their midst. The group looked up at him, including Goku, who had just regained consciousness once again. Gohan looked at them seriously, his eyes flickering, evidence to his memory searching. "You see, Kami was the original creator of earth's dragon balls and the magical dragon Shenron, and he's Namekian just like Piccolo. If that is so, then his kind must have explored these same ideals as well. In other words, his species may have created a set of dragon balls of their own on their planet," Gohan continued, putting his point out clearly.

The entire group was astounded by Gohan's statements. As a result the entire group took some time to think about. Piccolo, impressed at his student's contribution, nodded to him with a smile, which Gohan returned. After a few moments of thinking, Bulma rubbed her chin and nodded her head slowly.

"Yeah…Yes! That's understandable enough! Of course," Bulma exclaimed. "If that is true, then we should be able to fly to the planet the Namekians live on, and ask them whether we can use their dragon balls to wish back our friends!"

Krillin looked over at the blue haired scientists, a little bit uncertain about the possibilities of this idea. "That sounds great Bulma, but there is just one problem. We don't know what planet the Namekians live on, nor do we have the coordinates to lead us there." Well, that sort of shut the mood down a bit. But if fortune should have it, Gohan knew exactly where to look.

"Actually, you can let me handle that problems guys," Gohan said, drawing everyone's attention to him again. The Saiyan child tapped the side of his head with a smirk. "If memory serves me, Planet Namek is only a year's trip away. It's nestled in the North Quadrant like Earth, but is not in the same solar system. It's about three sectors and forty other solar systems away."

Everyone was dumbfounded by Gohan's knowledge of where to find the planet. Chi-Chi was overly satisfied with this, knowing that he had been doing studies on this. What she didn't know was that Gohan inherited that knowledge from Echo when they fused. Bulma clapped her hands together happily.

"Excellent!" Bulma exclaimed in delight. "Then it is official, we're going to Namek."

Gohan nodded, looking back up at Piccolo. "Right, and I guess we'll be needing all the help we can get. How about it Piccolo?" The Namek grunted and shrugged in disinterest.

"Sure, sounds like fun," he replied dully.

Bulma turned to the two who were still holding Goku up. "And how about you, Krillin? We could sure use some extra hands." Krillin nodded with a nervous smile.

"Yeah, I'll come. Wouldn't know what I'd do with you guys gone," Krillin replied. Goku, mustering up some extra strength, looked up and smiled with pained determination.

"And I'll come too!" he shouted. Chi-Chi however was totally different to his decision.

"Oh no you don't" Chi-Chi protested. "No…you aren't going anywhere until you've recovered and spent some time with me. It's been one year Goku, I didn't marry you to see you occasionally!" the Son mother shouted, tugging him on his ear. The wounded man cried and whimpered, eyes welling with tears at the pains flooding through him. Chi-Chi's words of statement really weren't flowers and roses either. For some reason, she completely forgot about Gohan going on the trip.

With Goku in tow and Chi-Chi leading, Krillin and Yajirobee dragged their friend into the jet. Having a little bit of trouble getting up the stairs, they laid him down on a set of chairs and got him comfortable. Master Roshi, Oolong and Puar followed in suit, while Bulma, Gohan and Piccolo remained outside. The blue haired woman shook her head at how childish Goku acted before turning back to the pair standing beside her.

"Well, we have our crew. But there is something else I am concerned about. My father is already in the production of twenty prototype orb ships, all of which are still currently being built at the CC factories. It would be two months till the first one is prepped and ready. If you have any plans of leaving right away, then I'm sorry to say you'll have to wait," Bulma informed. However, just as Gohan and Piccolo were about to add their own statements, they were interrupted by another new figure.

"I think I can help you on this matter," the voice said, drawing the three's attention to the air behind Gohan and Piccolo. There, they saw Mr. Popo floating their, sitting on his magic carpet. Kami's assistant nodded to them in greetings before continuing, arms folded. "It was many years ago did I discover the actual ship Kami came to this planet in. It is still in working order, but needs a bit of toning up. If you wish, I can take you to it."

Bulma was especially delighted to hear this and grinned up at him. "Oh, that would be splendid Mr. Popo, thank you!" she exclaimed. The man nodded to her with a cheerful smile.

"Of course…it's the least I can do," he replied. As Bulma was hopping up onto the carpet that lowered itself a bit to help her on, Piccolo turned to Gohan, his same old expression still in play.

"How do you plan on getting away from your mother?" the Namek asked. Gohan smirked, looking up at him in kind.

"Don't worry…I have something in mind…"

* * *

_**Hours later…**_

It only took fours hours for the carrier jet carrying the Z-gang to reach the hospital in West City (It's a long way). As soon as they landed, they carried Goku off and took him indoors. Krillin and Yajirobee helped with the carrying with Chi-Chi remaining at Goku's side. Piccolo and Gohan had decided to fly beside the jet and were easily able to land without a hustle. Master Roshi, Puar and Oolong followed the body carriers, as did Piccolo and Gohan, who dragged their feet in getting inside.

Walking up to the front desk, passing by other patients, Krillin spoke with the nurse posted there.

"Excuse me but uhh…could you help us please? My friend here," Krillin said, pointing out the bloodied up Saiyan. "…was in a terrible car accident and needs medical attention." The nurse was confounded by the state Goku was in and immediately got to work, hurrying up two other hospital assistants to get a stretcher.

"Oh goodness…of course. Right away!" the nurse said, leading the troop through the hallways towards one of the med bays. As soon as he was on a stretcher and on the move again, he looked up at the nurse walking beside them with worry.

"Excuse me…but are there…going to be any…needles…involved? I hate needles!" Goku said loudly, his voice mixed with hope and concern. The nurse turned to him and smiled kindly.

"Sorry, but I'm afraid there will be several injections, including morphine and a bit of zinc with that after bandages. Standard procedure," the woman said, surprised that he was still able to talk in his condition. Goku gulped, turning away with a fearful look on his face. Chi-Chi, who was still walking beside him on the other side of the gurney table, just shook her head at how babyish her husband was acting now. She was aware of the fact that he hated needles, but she didn't really care. He would just have to get used to it.

Led into the operating room, Chi-Chi, Goku and the doctors disappeared, the door closing behind them. As of now, their new patient has got priority. God knows what kind of horrible, inhumane torture would Goku be subjected too, and that was coming from his perspective of the situation. Gohan, Krillin and Yajirobee, who had fallen back during their walk, stopped and stared at the door Goku had disappeared into. They stared and blinked, wondering what could be happening in there. About a minute after stopping, they heard a agonizing wail escape through the door, making them cringe.

Yajirobee shivered at the thought of what was happening in there. He turned to Gohan and Krillin, a nervous look on his face. He forced a grin and patted Gohan on the shoulder, as if comforting him. "Well uhh…I see that you've got everything settled here!" the fat man exclaimed, cringing as another scream reached their ears. Gohan and Krillin just stared at the door, petrified. Yajirobee was able to resist it and turned on his heel, towards the exit. "I'll just…head off to Korin's and get some Senzu beans. Believe me…Goku will need them after this!" As more screams and shouts reached their ears, Yajirobee was off without a second thought.

Gohan sighed and turned to Krillin. "Man…that must be harsh. What about you Krillin, you've got several cuts and bruises yourself," Gohan exclaimed. Krillin laughed nervously and turned to Gohan, his eyes ringed.

"Uhh…I think I'd prefer the recovery tank in Bulma's lab," Krillin replied. Gohan grinned and nodded.

"I have to agree with you," Gohan said, turning around. "What about you Piccolo…huh?" Gohan queried, looking around trying to find his friend. He was surprised to find that the Namek wasn't right behind them. In fact, Piccolo was a bit preoccupied. The green warrior was cornered against the wall with two doctors looking up at him with concern. The Namek was quite flustered that they were staring and worrying over him. Gohan and Krillin stared.

"Sir, are you alright?" one of the doctor's asked.

"Do you need any medication? You're looking a little green," the other said. Piccolo growled and shouted at them, flushing in embarrassment.

"GO AWAY! There's nothing wrong with me!" the Namek yelled. The doctor's freaked and left him be, heading off to check on some other patients. Guess Piccolo's case was a bit…unsolvable. Gohan had to laugh. He was expecting that kind of reaction from his trainer.

As soon as Piccolo was relieved of the small crowd, Gohan and Krillin approached. The chibi Saiyan looked up at his friend, nodding with a smile. "You sure showed them," he exclaimed. Piccolo grunted and looked away, still sweating and slightly flushed.

"Pah…they're minors compared to me," Piccolo replied. Krillin chuckled, crossing his arms.

"Well, that comes to no surprise." Piccolo and Gohan nodded in agreement. Upon hearing another cry of pain come from the room Goku was being tended too in, the three of them turned and stared at the door. They could have sworn they heard the twang of a certain kitchen utensil, accompanied by the sounds of Gohan's mother.

"_Oh stop crying Goku!"_ Chi-Chi shouted. _"You're acting so immature. Don't make me hit you again!"_

Krillin and Gohan returned their sights to Piccolo, the Namek drawing his gaze away from the med-lab. Krillin nodded to him. "We'd better head off now before Chi-Chi comes looking for us," the former monk stated. Piccolo nodded as well.

"Yeah. I can't stand that woman," Piccolo continued. With that decision unanimously agreed on, Piccolo and Krillin walked off as quickly as possible. Gohan, hanging back for a moment, took one last glance back at the operating room before following them.

'_This next adventure should be a blast! Sorry you can't come with us dad, but we'd best get a head start. Bulma should have the ship prepped and ready…knowing her…'_

Joining Krillin and Piccolo outside, the group powered up and took off towards Capsule Corp. It's been hours now; the ship should be ready and waiting for them…

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	8. Training

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Training_

_**West City**_

_**Capsule Corps. Backyard**_

After a one minute flight across town, the group of three eventually reached Capsule Corp and upon seeing the World Famous industries, descended towards it. The various dome like buildings, indoor, non-gas or fuel powered factories (that were designed as domes as well), and the large test fields advertised the refinery greatly. Without the worry of being caught by any of the riot guards or security nodes, Gohan, Krillin and Piccolo landed in the back yard. Tracing Bulma's ki signature, they walked around one of the apartment buildings before emerging into the actual back yard of the Briefs.

Spotting Bulma waiting for them in the middle of the wide open area, they walked over to her. The blue haired scientist shook her head at the group and looked down at her watch, tapping her foot impatiently. When they reached her, Krillin expressed his concern about why she was here now and not where she was supposed to be. He raised an eyebrow at her while placing his hands on his hips. Piccolo and Gohan just stood behind him with their arms crossed.

"Uhh…Bulma," Krillin began. "Why exactly are we here? I don't see any ships or rockets. How are we going to get to Namek?" Bulma sighed in annoyance and pulled out a capsule from her top pocket vest. She thumbed it through her hand and stared at the group, who were watching the capsule move around in her grasp.

"I guess you weren't present when I said that my father is still working on his F-C Class Space Ships and that they wouldn't be ready for another month or so. I guess I'll just give it to you straight then. Mr. Popo took me to the landing site of the ship Kami used to get to earth. I found that it was still in perfect condition. After cleaning and toning it up, as well as putting in several other special features of my own, we are now left with the resulted F-C Mark II. The ship didn't have a model number, so I gave it one," Bulma exclaimed. Krillin blinked, while Gohan and Piccolo stood behind him, listening intently.

"Um…okay. But how were you able to get it over here without anyone noticing?" Krillin asked. Bulma smiled and threw the capsule up in the air, catching it with ease.

"Well, thanks to a new portable device I invented, I am able to capsulate any single model, building or craft alike ranging from a 1:1200 model to a 50 story building. By attaching the fold up, capsule reduction component to the base and dialing in a certain code, it materializes the object and stores it in your every day capsule. It's handy to not have to build specific vehicles or buildings that are built with a capsulator," Bulma continued. Krillin nodded.

"Ooohhh…gee…that's handy. Can you hide a person in it?" Krillin asked. Bulma shook her head.

"Nope, only solid, non-living objects. If you tried that with someone, you'd kill them. However, it wasn't built for that sort of purpose so it's safe," Bulma exclaimed, clicking the capsule button and chucking it over her shoulder.

The capsule bounced three times across the ground before suddenly exploding. The burst of smoke and the sound of a reforming, large object was heard. The group watched the smoke clear and, in place of the capsule, stood a large, bug like ship. Gohan, Piccolo and Krillin looked up at the ship and immediately began taking in its features. Gohan saw that it looked sort of like a four legged beetle. It stood up on four support legs with no shock absorbers, and have various other spikes lining its hull. There were three windows at the front of the ship, as well as eight other windows on each side. There was no rear window, but that wasn't important. The ship was also toned white and grey. It looked like it was made of marble and stone. Gohan however identified it as a rock-metal, found only on other planets that was slightly similar and different towards earth, depending on mass, density and core. The port holes and windows were aqua in color, and the only thing that was missing was a hatch. The three stared at Bulma in question who turned her back on them and faced the ship.

Walking over to it, Bulma stopped just underneath the entrance before turning back to the other three, a smile on her face.

"I have modified the hatch to suit our purposes. There was first just a hover pad that went up and down, but that system was fault and unreliable. I had my workers fix it up and replace the pad with operational stair way. No ladders or poles required!" she exclaimed, slightly briefing them on the exterior make and access port. Gohan and Krillin nodded while Piccolo queried on one thing.

"All of that sounds great. But how do we open this bloody thing?" he growled. Bulma raised a finger in statement.

"Simple. All we have to do is shout the password, and the ship's hatch opens. We also have a fail-safe system that allows us to access it. There's a flip board right underneath the hull beside the access port. It's pressurized, so you'll have to press it in order to have clearance to it," Bulma explained. Gohan blinked, tilting his head up at the vessel.

"So…what's the password?" he asked.

Bulma grinned and turned back to the ship. Cupping her hands round her mouth she shouted, "Piccolo!!!"

Gohan and Krillin looked up at their Namek friend, seeing him sweat and blush with embarrassment. He scowled at the blue haired woman, watching as the entrance popped down from the centre. Bulma chuckled and turned to the group, waving to them.

"The clearance code hasn't changed a bit since it was last used, plus the ship's model and design is based mostly around a fuel source that doesn't run out. The password is unchangeable, since everything is integrated on the day of its make. Mr. Popo said so himself," Bulma said. Krillin laughed and shrugged.

"Fine with us," he added. Piccolo however was the exact opposite to his cheerfulness.

"Speak for yourself, I hate it. No matter how hard I try, the old man is always reminding me of myself," Piccolo retorted, glaring up into the skies. It was obvious he was referring to Kami. "Darn him…"

Ignoring the Namek, Bulma smiled cheerfully and took the first steps up into the space craft. She gestured towards the inside of the ship.

"Well…are we all ready to go? I've stocked the ship an hour before with enough supplies to last us like… a lifetime!" she said cheerfully. Krillin smiled and followed her up the stairs with Gohan and Piccolo following. Bulma was the first one inside the sparkling new vessel. She was soon joined by the group, Gohan stepping inside last while Krillin and Piccolo spread themselves out inside the lower deck. Just before Gohan could proceed up the last couple of stairs, Bulma stopped him. He looked up at her in surprise.

"Gohan," Bulma began, seriously. "Are you sure you want to come with us? This is going to be a very dangerous trip. Your mother won't forgive me if anything happens to you." Gohan blinked a couple of times and then smiled.

"Don't worry Bulma. My mother can hold her concerns until we get back. I can assure you, I won't let anything happen to us. We'll be fine," Gohan stated, walking passed her and onto the ship. Bulma, trusting Gohan's word on this, shrugged and shouted 'Piccolo' again, the ship's ramp closing and pressurizing. With the doors and entrances sealed, and everything set for their journey to Namek, Bulma led the group through the ship. Hoping into the elevator at the end of the deck, she tapped the button for the top floor, which took the group up to the main deck. The lift doors opened second's later, exposing view of another hallway. Thanks to Bulma's tinkering, the top level has been crafted in her image. There were four compartments. The rear one they were in was the crew lounge. The one next to it as they moved forward was the multi-com room, housing all sorts of computers and consoles. The second was the main station and the one at the front was the cockpit with four seats. The seat at the front was for the driver and the other three were co-pilot and passenger seats. The group arrived at the cock-pit and, with Bulma's instructions, strapped themselves in.

Seating herself in the pilot's seat, Bulma set to work. Typing into the console and pulling various levers, she started up the craft with a sonic whirr. Making sure all airlocks, compartments and levels were sealed one last time, Bulma smiled and dialed in the start up code.

"Strap yourselves in boys, otherwise you'll find yourself floating home," she shouted. Bracing themselves the group felt a heavy lurch, followed by a second whir of the ship's propulsion systems.

Within seconds, the group could see the world whizzing passed them as they took off, straight up into space. Passing buildings then hover-cars, then birds and then clouds, the group found the exit of the planet's atmosphere rather rough. The shook in their seats, not of fear, but of the discomfort the take off had on them. They were tough to take it, whereas Bulma had experience with this. Within moments, the ship breached all barriers and was finally drifting through the empty blackness of space, propelled by its engines.

Turning to the navigation system, Bulma turned to Gohan to see him staring out on of the windows, awed by the starry skies around them. She smiled and waved to get his attention.

"What are the coordinates, Gohan?" Bulma asked. The young Saiyan closed his eyes and delved into his mind, Krillin and Piccolo watching with interest. Gohan's face scrunched as he furrowed, finding what he had been looking for.

"Bearings 60, 25, 99, north by south Sector, 2156 X 5624," Gohan said, opening his eyes and smiling. "It's definitely going to be a one year's journey," he exclaimed. Bulma nodded affirmatively and typed in the digits of the first and third part, ignoring the areas for now. With the coordinates set, Bulma sighed and turned back to the group.

"So, who wants a tour?"

Not needing to be asked twice, the three unbuckled themselves and followed Bulma out of the cockpit. She led them slowly down the hall and began pointing out the various areas in which they will be living in for the next year.

"Okay, to start off with the tour is the top deck: one of the most important areas in the ship. The forward compartment was obviously the cock-pit, but we also have several other areas in which to explore. This deck is currently split into four compartments. The multi-com room is ahead of you, and this second area is the main station that holds the: radio, enigma, computers, you name it. The multi-com room is linked up to the camera system and gives us a low down on the condition of the ship, as well as course, heading, engines, fuel…etc. The forth compartment where the lift is, is the crew lounge. I retire to that area since I'm mostly up here. I have a small lab built opposite the multi-com room. Note the door we just passed," Bulma exclaimed. The three of them absorbed this up like a sponge, with Piccolo and Gohan making sure to take everything into account.

Taking the lift once more, they dropped to the second level. With the lift opening up, they were introduced to a small, wash room area with lockers, with a wall built a few meters away. Bulma held up the group at the lift and began making points about this level.

"This is the third level-second deck. I figured you three would need to keep in shape, so I installed the latest, state of the art gravity room for you. The room is fully pressurized with blast proof walls that can resist even the strongest of energy levels. A control panel in the room allows you to set the level of gravity you want, weighing you down. This is the wash room, where you can clean yourselves up after every training session. I should also tell you that the maximum gravity level is 600g's," she said. Piccolo, Gohan and Krillin got a good look at the wash room and entrance to the GR before pulling themselves back in. Just as the lift doors were closing, Gohan voiced his opinion.

"That's great Bulma. Now I'll be able to strengthen myself in preparation for my next battles. I fear that we will be encountering a lot of tougher villains this time," Gohan exclaimed, slamming his right fist into his left palm. Krillin nodded and rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah…me too. Dang, I really need to get into shape. I mean, Piccolo and I had a tough time taking on Nappa…but Vegeta was four times as strong. If I'm going to fight against him, I'll need to train hard," Krillin said. Gohan nodded in agreement with Piccolo remaining silent.

Seconds later, the elevator stopped at the third floor. Exiting the lift, Bulma led them into a larger deck. She smiled as she led them towards the centre, pointing out door after door, as well as access ways and other compartments.

"This is the second floor-third deck level. This room is situated above the entrance, bottom deck and below the GR. This is the main area where we will find the kitchen, bedrooms, showers, recovery room, with standard recovery tank, storage areas and bathrooms. We have plenty of room down here, but try not to get carried away. We each have a bedroom, plus four others for passengers. I know its tight quarters, but if Yamcha, Tien and Chouzu are to come back with us, we'll need all the room we can get," Bulma explained, stopping at the cross-hallways and turning to the others. She smiled and nodded to them. "Any questions?"

The three remained silent. Bulma clapped her hands together. "Excellent. I guess I'll leave you to it then…"

Gohan turned to her as she walked passed and followed. He had a mischievous smirk on his face, mixed with determination and excitement. "I'll be in the GR. I'd just like to test it out if that's okay with you Bulma," Gohan said. The blue haired woman glanced over her shoulder and nodded.

"Sure Gohan…you can use it…"

The pair took the lift up a couple of levels, with Gohan stopping at the second floor. As Bulma headed up to the top level, the young Saiyan proceeded through the washroom and entered the Gravity Room. When he stepped inside, he found himself inside a large, dome like room with a pillar set in the centre of it to support the floor above it, and to also house the panels in which to control the room. Gohan, with his sword still strapped around him, walked over to the control panel and began studying the system.

He furrowed his brow at the keys and buttons. _"Hmm…it's simple enough. What gravity should I set it at?" _he thought. Looking down at his weight bands and leg weights, he tested the strain and pull it had on him. And knowing that each weight weighed about two tons, he began calculating the amount of gravity he would need in order to make these things much heavier. He smiled triumphantly and went to the gravity setter. _"I'll try it out with ten time's earth's gravity…"_

He pressed down on the button beside a dash board and watched the screen light up with numbers. A second later, he let go, setting it at 10g's. He then stepped back and waited for the room to set itself. He heard the whir of power from the simulator and the drivers in the pillar course the setting through to the rest of the onboard system. Within moments, the gravity increased by ten became operational, with Gohan immediately feeling the quick change. His weight bands pulled him down, with his wrist weights making it harder for him to stand. His sword was also affected by the gravity increase. As soon as the gravity simulation was up and running, the Saiyan child smirked and forced himself into a standing position. He trembled through the process, but he steadied himself soon after.

"Well…this should be fun. Let's get to work shall we," Gohan began, dropping into a fighting stance and trying to keep himself upright.

Within moments, he was hard at training. Pushing himself to his limits, he moved across the room on the tile floors. In so doing he flowed through the stances, launching combination after combination. In so doing he tried using his flight technique, but because of the gravity increase and the weights he wore, it prevented him from hovering above two meters. Still, Gohan tried. He had already worked himself after five minutes, sweating with the effort he was putting into his training. But determined to get stronger he picked up the pace.

On the top level, Bulma was just going to grab herself a cup of coffee when she passed by the monitors in the multi-com room. Upon taking a glance at one of the screens, she saw Gohan in the room below, training at 10g's. Surprised, she walked over and stared into the screen, watching him move and fight against the pull that was on him.

After a few moments of watching Bulma pulled back and rubbed her chin in thought.

"_Hm…he's going to be in there for most of the time in our trip. But I can't really let him train all day without studying. Maybe I can set some tasks for him with some of my books. Heck, it might make Chi-Chi happy…"_ Bulma thought, smiling.

* * *

_**As the months go by…**_

For the next few months on their trip to Namek, the group aboard Kami's old space ship continued to live life as per normal, aside from the fact that they were floating light years away from Earth. It was during these months Gohan continued training at an extraordinary level without any problems.

Since his first use of the Gravity Room, Gohan had gone up by 1g each day, with the exception of the increase of his weight bands. Through this, he got stronger everyday. To keep his skills and techniques in tone, he practiced and honed in on them, from wushu and kyoshu styles through his ki manipulative skills. Occasionally he would jump the gun and increase the gravity to a hundred times just to test his strength. During his sessions he would follow similar routines just like back on earth. It started off with breakfast, then with warm ups and strength exercises in the gravity with the set simulation for the day. This was immediately followed by skill and technique training, with ki manipulating training afterwards. These would go on for hours without end, with Gohan raising the gravity by a hundred. To finish the session was a full on shadow fight with everything he had left. He would sweat rivers and would move so fast in the set gravity that Krillin and Piccolo, who would sometimes watch through the observatory windows, couldn't even see him. It was a shocking turn of events, since neither could do anything he could in such atmospheres.

Bulma had taken the liberty of being Gohan's tutor as well. Whenever Gohan was having a day off from training to let Piccolo and Krillin use the GR, he would retire to Bulma's lab and do some studying. He just did it to make her happy, by which Bulma would be able to pass on proof to Chi-Chi that he hadn't been slacking off. He didn't need to study anyway. He possessed all the knowledge he could. One day, when Bulma left Gohan to get a cup of coffee and came back two minutes later, she found him gone and all the work in the 500 page Math book complete. She was shocked at the amount he had done in such a short time and went off to find him. She found him in the GR sparring with both Piccolo and Krillin. She gave way to this and figured she would have to give him something more challenging. As a result, filling in the time of Gohan's study sessions, she would teach him about technology and the equipment used in the ship. She would even pass him some blue prints to study, and give him a task to draw something up himself, a design. He came up with some pretty interesting pieces that even Bulma was impressed of. After all, he was a very gifted child.

Gohan was influenced in almost all of the martial arts, as well as having high scores in Math, English, Literature, Languages, Society and Environment, Astronomy, Astrology, Science and Economics. He was perfect in ever aspect.

So, things seemed to be going ahead as planned. Bulma was still working on improving her two new Dragon radars, while Piccolo, Gohan and Krillin continued honing in on their skills, getting stronger. The three were in the GR most of the time. Whenever Krillin used it, he had to down play it ten times that of Gohan's level of training, which exceeded his by a mile. Piccolo would primarily use the GR for meditation, since his skills came to him naturally. He would occasionally spar with either Krillin or Gohan; however Gohan was his prime opponent, being the strongest. Since the bond between master and student was none the less sacred, Gohan respected Piccolo's wishes and joined him in meditation to increase focus and concentration. Krillin, being a master as well (mostly of age) also joined in. Because they were spending so much time together, Krillin no longer felt nervous around Piccolo and Gohan also learnt a lot about the former monk. It was something the three could really bond together in.

It was also in the weeks that passed did Krillin fully notice Gohan's change. Though he did notice this back in the fight with Nappa and Vegeta, he didn't really press the matter. However, it was through the progressions of their training and the weeks passing them by did Krillin fully recognize the young child's advances and personality changes. He remembered first seeing the boy back at Kame House a year ago when Goku brought him over, and he was nothing compared to what he was now. He didn't act childish either, and that sort of bothered him…it just wasn't normal, personality wise.

During one of their meditation sessions, Gohan had decided to sit further away from the group to be more open-minded, to be able to extend his senses without interference. Sensing Gohan's mental state enclosed, Krillin dropped out of his state and turned to Piccolo. Seeing that the Namek himself was also close to consciousness, Krillin took up the courage and began to speak with him at his own risk.

"Hey…Piccolo…" Krillin whispered.

"What is it," the Namek asked, slightly annoyed at the interruption. Krillin took a glance over at Gohan to make sure he was still in that quiet state of meditation. Seeing that he was, Krillin continued on.

"I know I'm prying a bit more then I should but…uhh…did something happen to Gohan while you were training him?" Krillin asked. Piccolo opened his eyes and glared down at the bald fighter.

"What are you talking about?" he growled. Goku's old friend gulped.

"Well…I mean…he's acting…different…more then a child his age should," Krillin continued. Piccolo raised an eyebrow and looked over at Gohan. He saw the boy meditating as per natural, breathing normally and floating off the ground a couple of feet under 20 time's gravity. Seeing no change, the Namek shrugged and closed his eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about. He seems fine to me," Piccolo replied. Krillin scowled.

"Come on Piccolo, I'm being serious here. Look at him, he's acting more and more like an adult! That's not how he acted when I first saw him. He tried playing 'rock-paper-scissors' with a crab and got sprayed by it!" Krillin hissed loudly. Piccolo's ear twitched and his face furrowed slightly. This pressuring was really starting to get to him. He sighed and glanced down at the bald headed monk. He could see Krillin still staring up at him with concern. "I know you know something about this. Tell me…"

Piccolo stared for a moment. Looking up at the roof, the Namek sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Shaking his head slightly, he let out a growl of frustration and then looked down at the monk. "If I tell you, can we get back to our meditation…?" Krillin nodded.

The Namek took in a deep breath of air and began. "OK. It was during the six months Gohan has been training alone did he run into a certain…something…or someone. Apparently he stumbled upon a sacred haven during an investigation of a voice that had been calling him. It was here where he had a brush with a spirit," Piccolo explained. Krillin was listening intently, but was still a bit perplexed by what the Namek was actually explaining to him.

As per routine he continued. "It was pretty strange because spirits rarely make contact with those outside their realms. It was an ironic coincidence that Gohan came in touch with one. Well, the spirit led him to the place where he proposed a fusion of both their spirits and souls." Krillin nearly fell over. If he did, he had doubts about getting back up.

"WHAT!" Piccolo growled and hushed him up. They both glanced over at Gohan in worry. Fortunately, the Saiyan child was so deep in meditation he barely heard a thing. Relieved, Piccolo glared back at Krillin and continued.

"The spirit convinced him that there was a lot to be had as a result of this unison. Gohan went along with it. After which he retrieved the sword you see him using now and trained with me a couple of months later. The fusion was a big success. He was stronger then Nappa and Vegeta, and had developed a strong sense of understanding of the world and himself. However, the Gohan you know today isn't the Gohan you knew months before. The fusion resulted in the creation of a new being, one with a different personality and new thought," Piccolo explained. Krillin blinked in disbelief.

"T-That's crazy! Are you saying Gohan isn't…Gohan anymore!?" Krillin whispered loudly. Piccolo scowled.

"I wouldn't say that just yet Krillin. You know I asked him the very same question, and his answer was convincing enough for me. He hasn't harmed either of us and, if you ever took the time to think, he is still our friend. He's been with us for months on end now, and he hasn't put you down or let you off on anything," Piccolo replied. Krillin pulled away, taken aback by Piccolo's words. Well, when put that way, it made a lot of sense. He looked down, a bit guilty that he had made false points so suddenly. He sighed.

"I guess…yeah. He's still our friend," Krillin said, smiling. He looked back up at Piccolo. "There's no reason to distrust him now." Piccolo nodded.

"Yeah. I've known him for a long time…and I like him for who he is now. He's a great kid…or a man I should say. He's the first friend I ever had," Piccolo said, looking over at the young Saiyan. Krillin did too. "I've never met someone like him in my life. He's changed us completely…"

Krillin nodded in agreement. "Yeah…"

After a few moments of looking at the meditating Saiyan, the two of them eventually returned to their own. Once the pair had finally dived back into subconscious minds, Gohan opened one eye, glancing over at his friends. He had overheard their conversation, and as interesting as it sounded, he didn't butt in. He smiled…

Well, it wasn't as tragic as it was expected, but when Krillin found out about the change Gohan had been through, he was shocked. Still, the next weeks to follow, Krillin didn't treat Gohan any differently, yet remaining surprised all the same. Piccolo was satisfied that Krillin wasn't pestering the young Saiyan about that decision and was able to relax. With training sessions cut out for them, they carried on as per normal.

On breaks the troop would retire to their suites and have a bite to eat. Piccolo, seeing no need to fill his gut like Gohan, just sat in the corner and would watch on with a perplexed look as Gohan devoured an entire week's worth of food in one go. Krillin would stare with the same surprised cross with a disgusted look on his face. Later after breakfast and dinner, Gohan would always clean up and then hit the GR again. His body digested the food quickly, allowing him to train without the worry of being hit in the stomach or throwing up because of it or any other reason. Bulma would usually check up on the group from the observation room built beside the GR and watch as Gohan or all three of them trained.

Now six months away from Namek, they all felt the need to train harder. And so, without any hesitation, turned up the beat in their training…

* * *

_**Back on earth**_

Well, although some people never take a break, Goku wasn't wasting any time in slacking off in his training. Even while in casts, wrappings and stitches, he was still able to focus on training with his mind. His methods may be unorthodox, but at least it helped him pass the time.

An example of one of _his_ training sessions was when the nurse would occasionally bring him a glass of water or orange juice. Goku would sit at the edge of his bed by the bedside table and concentrate on levitating the water with his mind and ki. It was about that time now did Goku start trying out a new technique with it.

Glaring at the glass of water propped up on the tray, the bandaged and frustrated Saiyan concentrated his ki on the liquid contents in the glass in front of him. His brow furrowed and his teeth gritted. Grasping control of his energy, he allowed it to envelop the water inside the glass and slowly lift it. Bubbles formed and frothed at the top of the shaped liquid. Then slowly, leading it upwards with his eyes, he pulled the water out of the glass and raised it into the air. It continued to bubble, and maintained its previous shape even though it was removed. Goku tried as hard as he could to keep it level, just two meters above him.

Moving it directly over him, Goku began making different shapes out of it. He carved what looked like a cheeseburger out of the water, followed by an animal he identified as a bird and then a fish. He was just getting the hang of it and was starting to relax when he was suddenly distracted by his wife.

"GOKU!"

The Saiyan, caught off guard, lost his control of the floating ball of liquid. It came plummeting straight towards him, landing directly on his face. The water ran down through his clothes, soaking him to the skin. Blinking in surprise, Goku looked over at his wife standing by the entrance with her fists on her hips and a disgruntled look on her face. Goku gave the famous Son grin and chuckled nervously.

"Uhh…ha-ha…hi Chi-Chi!" he exclaimed. The woman's eye twitched and she walked over to him, sighing with content.

"Why is it that whenever I come in here I find you doing something weird?" Chi-Chi asked him, sitting down on the end of his bed while he got back lying down. Goku just smiled.

"It's just me Chi-Chi. It's so boring here!" he whined. Chi-Chi shook her head again and looked up towards the ceiling with half hope.

"Ugh! I know, I know!" she replied, looking back down at him. "But you have to stop doing that Goku. Last time I came in here the bed with the poor man beside you was levitating five feet off the ground!"

Goku chuckled. "I was training Chi-Chi…" The woman scowled.

"Oh really? Well what do you call levitating the fruit and throwing it at the wall? Are you trying to give people heart attacks?" Chi-Chi growled.

"There's enough of that going on around here," the man in the bed opposite Goku groaned. Unfortunately for the pair the blinds had been torn away via the divide. The man lying on the bed reading a newspaper had a broken leg, so it was wrapped into a cast and hanging up thanks to a support system. He had been listening and watching the pair interact, and was more or less disinterested with their bickering. Chi-Chi settled his problem and closed the blinds between them.

Turning round, she glared down at Goku. "So…are you going to stop training and rest from now on?" Chi-Chi asked…or…since it was more of a statement it didn't matter what Goku decided. Her husband sighed and just lay back silently. Although…it did look like he was acting like some sort of moody teenage girl, who had just met the man of her dreams.

"Fine…I'll rest," Goku muttered. Chi-Chi nodded with her arms crossed, satisfied.

"Good, now you lie here while I get you something to eat," she replied, taking leave and marching out of the room. Goku furrowed his brow, tilting his head and thinking deeply to himself.

"_Man…now what am I supposed to do to pass the time?"_

* * *

_**A couple weeks later…**_

Back on the CC space pod heading for Namek, we rejoin the gang in their daily training sessions. Well…if you would like to call that. Piccolo was having some time to himself in the GR, meditating. Krillin and Bulma were both in the lounge area of the ship with Gohan. Bulma was sitting on one of the couches, reading one of the magazines she had brought along. Whenever she wanted to get the latest addition, she would scan it under the transmitter-receiver from earth, which would update each and every page in order, thanks to her father's connection to the company.

Krillin on the other hand was reading one of the martial arts novels he had received from Master Roshi. He was grateful for once that it wasn't one of his Play Boy magazines. The bald fighter was lying across the single couch, reading to himself and moving his propped up foot about. Bulma's voice seemed to fill the air with myth as she silently hummed herself a gentle tune. Gohan wasn't distracted from his work in the least. Sitting in his corner, he was whittling away at his own creation. Bulma and Krillin didn't know what he was doing, and paid little attention.

Holding a sharp, diamond blade in his hand, Gohan was carefully shaving and carving away at a sparkling blue crystal held in his other hand. With his sword laid on the floor in front of him, the young Saiyan looked on with abide concentration as he carved away at the stone. The shards of the crystal sprinkled onto his lap, as the small object slowly formed and took shape.

The crystal he held slowly shaped into what he made out, was a heart. It reflected his image and refracted the light so that it sparkled like a real diamond. Months ago, during his training with Piccolo, he had taken a trip back to his castle sanctuary. It was here where he gathered a couple of the crystals, finding their appearances quite attracting. They were shiny, and possessed some sot of value to him. He could even call the crystal a part of him…his home.

As he moved the crystal about between his fingers and rolled it around in his palm, he smiled and closed his eyes. Continuing his carving, he began to sing to himself. It was quiet and heart warming to him. It was a moment for him himself to share…

"…_What is within my heart none can ever know. A heart like a falcon's is this very heart. What is within my heart none can ever know. Lonely falcon in the empty sky…"_ He breathed in deeply then sighed, continuing to whittle and sing to fill the emptiness.

"_I…walk alone along deserted country roads. Walking with me side by side you are always there. I feel your loneliness lonely you must be. Like crickets whispering in the grassy fields. You walk there by my side; you walk the path with me. But you never say a word, never do you speak…"_

Bulma and Krillin look up ad away from there work when they hear the sound of Gohan's voice. They look in his direction, ears open and listening intently to the tune he was singing to himself. They had caught onto this not long after he had started, but were listening absentmindedly. When they were finally beginning to process the words he sung, as well as the tone he used in it, they were indeed surprised. They watched him and listened, seeing him carving into the crystal with his heart pouring into it. Gohan smiled, eyes still closed.

"_What is within my heart none can ever know. Here inside this heart that walks its path alone. What is within my heart none can ever know. The sadness of one who always is alone…"_

Bulma tilted her head, listening more carefully. The way Gohan sung the song and expressed his feelings this way made her feel saddened somehow. It wasn't like him to be singing, especially one like this. Tears seemed to come to her eyes. Krillin just listened, feeling a similar feeling welling up inside of him like Bulma, but he stayed stronger. He thought of Gohan as a very wise, open-minded child, but this was different…

"_Far, far above the clouds against the setting sun; a falcon flies alone, soaring in the winds. I hear his lonely cry, so sad must he be. Riding the silent wind, a falcon flies alone. Reaching out with his wings, he grasps the empty sky. Riding the silent wind, never can he rest…"_

"_What is within my heart none can ever know. A heart like a falcon's is this very heart. What is within my heart none can ever know. Lonely falcon in the empty sky…"_

"_I walk with you along an empty winding road. We're far from the ones we love, and never can return. Never can we see again, the countries of our birth. When will I ever find a place to call my very own? Sadness circling like a falcon in the sky! When will I ever find a way to speak my heart? To someone who knows what it is to be alone…?"_

"_What is within my heart none can ever know. Here inside this heart that walks its path alone. What is within my heart none can ever know. The sadness of one who always is alone…"_

Opening his eyes, Gohan looks up towards his friends. He sees both Krillin and Bulma staring at him. The blue haired woman looked to be on the verge of tears while Krillin stared in awe. Gohan, looking from one expression to the other, smiled kindly before looking back down at his work. He sees his crystal heart was finished, the stone sparkling like a jewel. Taking it into his finger, he flashes it in the light. It reflects and refracts the light beautifully with equal rays flooding into its centre. It makes a shine noise, yet is unheard by anyone other then him. It was truly remarkable.

Nodding with satisfaction to it, he takes a braided, leather string and slips it through a ring he had slipped in. Tying it, he weaves it over his neck, where it hung above his chest. There, he took hold of it, placing it over his own heart. He sighs.

"_It is better to live alone; there is no companionship with a fool. Let a person walk alone with few wishes, committing no wrong, like a falcon soaring freely in the skies…"_

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	9. Arrival

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Arrival_

_**West City Hospital…**_

_**Another week later…**_

It was another boring day stuck at the hospital and lying in a crummy old bed for Goku. For days he had counted the hours it would take for Yajirobee to get a hold of some of those Senzu beans. It was a stroke of misfortune for him that the short, tubby fighter was having trouble getting back to the tower and getting them off Korin's hands. Truth be told, he was taking a pit stop every so often. It took a while traveling half way around the world and back to the hospital. Because of this, Goku was feeling very disgruntled.

About a couple of minutes of sitting and doing nothing, Goku felt the approach of his wife's ki and sat up. Bracing himself, he watched the woman walk in through the entrance way and walk up to him. Stopping by his bed, she placed her hands on her hips and smiled down at the spiky haired fighter. Goku grinned back, encouraging Chi-Chi's good mood…for now.

"Well Goku, I just had a word with the doctor. He said you are recovering remarkably fast for a man who had suffered hundreds of skin wounds, 50 fractured bones and 20 torn muscles. It's almost a miracle," Chi-Chi exclaimed. Goku smiled more heartedly towards her, his face all cheerful like a child.

"It is I'll say. But…" his face dipped with concern. "When is Yajirobee going to get here with the Senzu beans? It's been well over six months!" Goku explained. Chi-Chi shrugged, crossing her arms and looking about.

"I'm not sure Goku. But that fat lubber is definitely taking his time getting here," she stated.

"I'm right here! And don't call me fat, OK!" a third party voice called from the entrance. This drew the pair's attention towards the door. There, they saw Yajirobee standing with his Katana and a brown bag tied at his waist. Grinning wildly at the pair, the fighter pulled up the bag and threw it in the air several times, catching it with ease, advertising the Senzu beans he had brought along.

"Did somebody call a doctor?" Yajirobee exclaimed. Goku was incredibly relieved to see Yajirobee here with the Senzu beans. He sighed and smiled up at his friend.

"It's good to see you Yajirobee," Goku exclaimed. Yajirobee walked over to the bed, coming to stand by Chi-Chi. He thumbed through the bag, looking for one of the green beans to give to him. He grinned and pulled one out.

"Yeah, it's good to see you too dude. Here, catch!" Yajirobee said, tossing the bean over to the Saiyan. Goku caught it easily in the mouth. With all haste, he chewed on the miracle bean before swallowing the mashed contents in his mouth. Within seconds, the effects of the bean began to take place. Energy and strength shot throughout his entire system, waking him fully from his vulnerability. With the increase in strength and energy, his wounds healed completely, his muscles renewed and sense of awareness coming to its fullest. With little effort, Goku jumped up and out of bed, coming to land at the other end on the floor, his bare feet atop the cold, tile floor.

The old man in the bed next to his was shocked at the sudden turn of events. His mouth was hanging agape while his eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets. Goku, not taking any notice of him, checked his body. Finding the casts and bandages a restriction, he smirked and looked up at his wife. He was happy to see that she was happy to see him well and better.

"Hm…maybe I should get these off now," Goku said. Chi-Chi nodded while Yajirobee just stood and watched.

Without hesitation, Goku began working at the bandages. Finding that they were harder to take off then he gave them granted, he tried a different means of removing them. Tensing up to a extent, Goku let out a yell and thrust all his energy into his limbs and chest. With a loud, combination of cracks, the casts and bandages on him exploded. His muscles, now free of any restrictions, throbbed freely. There was no numbness whatsoever. The old man who was watching fainted without recognition.

Smiling as he clenched his fists, moved his wrists and flexed his arms, Goku looked over at his wife and nodded. "All better." He then looked down at Yajirobee and nodded to him. "Thanks pal…"

Yajirobee grinned and saluted. "Don't mention it. Hey!" he exclaimed, tossing the brown bag in his hand. "…A traveling present from Korin. He says you might need this when you're on Namek," he stated, throwing the bag to him. Goku caught it with ease. He tossed it in his hand, calculating the number of beans inside.

"Ha…32 beans. Should be enough," the Saiyan stated. Yajirobee nodded affirmatively, grasping his belt and sword.

"Yup. Korin had the idea of planting Senzu stalks, so we can grow some more Senzu beans for future uses," the fighter explained. Goku looked up and nodded with his expression all positive and bright.

"That's handy. Great idea. Oh, give Korin my thanks and say hi to him from me, OK," Goku said. Yajirobee nodded and waved.

"Sure thing Goku. See yah later dude!" With that last wave, he was out of there. Chi-Chi turned to Goku after watching the fat fighter march out of their wake. She smiled up at her husband, seeing him toss the bag of beans around in his hand.

"Well, it's good to you're alright dear," Chi-Chi exclaimed. Goku looked up at his wife and nodded. Although he felt more exposed in these patient robes, the thought really didn't bother him too much. He was just happy to be all better now.

"It feels great, Chi-Chi," he replied, lowering his arms to his sides. His look became serious this time and he looked up towards the ceiling. He was obviously trying to look passed towards the skies, but was unable to thanks to these new restrictions imposed on him. However, it didn't stop his senses from extending outwards. "But I don't really have time to wait around. I have to get moving and get to Namek as soon as possible. My friends will be needing my help."

Chi-Chi was not too pleased about hearing that. "GOKU! YOU CAN'T LEAVE NOW! YOU JUST GOT BETTER! Why don't you spend the day with me Goku! It's been a while since I've spent some regular, quality time with my husband," Chi-Chi said, giving him one of her pretty looks. Goku couldn't resist the way her wife spoke to him like that and sighed. Giving up this debate easily, he smiled up at her and nodded.

"Alright. But just for today. Gohan will need my help up there on Namek. I'm not going to let him have all the fun," he stated. Chi-Chi nodded in understanding.

"Of course," she said. Then with a exhausted sigh, she looked up at the ceiling with a very distressed look. "But it makes me wonder why that boy would ever want to take up fighting. He's missing out so much on his studies. I hope he's made the right choice…" Goku smiled and placed his hand on his wife's cheek. Chi-Chi looked down a bit, locking her eyes with her husband's.

"I'm sure he is. At east you're not forcing anything onto him," the warrior said in a whisper. Chi-Chi blinked in surprise, but then smiled. She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the lips then pulled away, smiling brightly.

"Come on, Goku. Let's get something to eat…"

* * *

_**Somewhere in space…**_

A pink, cloud covered planet, placed somewhere in the dark corners of the unknown, glowed brightly in its death toned glory. The floating orb presented a marveling sight, but was home to one of the worst tyrants imaginable. No one would ever dare set foot on that planet as long as it was for good reason. However, this planet wasn't the focus of this party of the story; it was the one beyond the reaches of this one.

Suddenly, shooting out of the pink planet's atmosphere, flying at an incredible rate, was a Saiyan Space pod. The orb ship cleared the planet easily, disappearing into the dark abysses of space in the distance. Whatever course it was set on, the occupant of the ship was not wasting any time with getting where he needed to go. After all, it was all a matter of principal.

Some months after Vegeta had escaped from earth, he returned to Frieza's home planet where his home was also placed on. Landing, the prince was immediately hustled over to the recovery room. While he was put into intensive care, Frieza's men rummaged through his gear and through the files in his ship where they discovered the facts on the dragon balls. Frieza was informed of these magical artifacts and, following up on clues and historic information, Frieza, and an entire battalion of his men, set a course of Namek. The saucer shape ship, the tyrant's own, personal cruiser, flew ahead of Vegeta's full recovery date. Days later, the Saiyan prince was up and about, back to full strength. When he found out about Frieza's departure for those exact reasons, he was infuriated. He followed the lizard like alien with all haste with the desire to get him back.

"NOBODY GET IN MY WAY!" the prince shouted, his ship continuing its unyielding flight for the planet.

It would appear that the Z-gang would be meeting some unexpected company on their arrival.

* * *

_**Meanwhile…**_

Gohan, Piccolo, Krillin and Bulma were well into their trip and were making record progress. While Bulma watched on with interest as they trained, as well as keeping to her work, she saw that Gohan was advancing the most. Now up to 200 times normal earth gravity, he was making Piccolo and Krillin look like chumps. Those two could only handle gravity below 100.

Today, Gohan was training with Piccolo. Both of them still dressed in their weighted clothes, were battling it out in the GR. They blurred in and out of super speed, fighting in 50 times earth normal gravity. It was about just as much as Krillin could take, who was sitting in the observation room with Bulma. They could see that the student and master were not wasting any time in breaking through barriers in their training. While Gohan had a bit more to learn about technique and skill, Piccolo had a lot to catch up on in terms of strength and speed. His student surpassed him in almost every way. It was only a matter of time till he has perfected his Shao Lin (Krillin's) and Namekian Jitsu (the type of martial arts Piccolo fights by).

Gohan zapped out of super speed and sent a punch at a blurring out Piccolo. Unfortunately the Namek wasn't fast enough and was struck across his face by the powerful punch. Gohan, sporting far heavier weights to make the fight even, leapt back and jumped into super speed again. Piccolo staggered, but recovered fast enough to return to the brawl. The two of them were now shooting through the room again, their blurs seen passing the window every now and then. Whenever they were attacking, they would occasionally slow down. Well, it did for this.

Piccolo appeared once again, leg pulled back into a kick. Dropping fast, he sent it straight forward, his shin colliding with something hard. Gohan's form appeared, his arms raised and blocking the roundhouse kick's full force. With that blocked, he parried it and shot up, pulling back his fist and digging it deep into Piccolo's chest. Piccolo back tracked a bit and, while he was falling back, he leapt back and sent a straight kick up into Gohan's chin. Gohan was struck full on by it, the blow knocking him back and senseless. With the two fighter's struck down, they both spun through the air before disappearing once again.

Bulma and Krillin were trying their best to keep up with the fight, but to their dismay were unable too since they were both so fast. Krillin's eyes were wide and he was shaking from head to toe. Bulma on the other hand was just amazed.

"W-Wow…I've never seen them fight this fiercely before…" Bulma stammered. Krillin nodded.

"Yeah…man…I really have to train some more. This is just too much…" Krillin continued in her place.

Gohan appeared again, sending a roundhouse kick of his own directly into thin air. The blow struck Piccolo in a parry, his arm raised to block it. Immediately after striking a hard pelt defense, Gohan kicked off and shot into super speed. Piccolo had just sent a punch of his own his way, only to find Gohan gone. Just as he did, he was struck in the back of the bed by an elbow. This one made him growl and stagger forward through the air. When he did, Gohan vanished again and reappeared underneath him, an upward kick sent into Piccolo's stomach. This one winded him, but only temporarily. Still, it didn't mean Gohan could continue on with his assault.

Slipping out and shooting above Piccolo, Gohan came down with another kick, this one sending his opponent flying straight down for the ground. The Namek landed on all fours, and with that settled, he got up and took flight once more…

* * *

_**The next day…**_

_**Back on Earth**_

After his recovery, with the exception of the time spent with his wife, Goku headed for Capsule Corp, eager to get going. Landing out on the large backyard where Bulma usually performed her large test flights with experimental ships, Goku saw Dr. Briefs working on a large, orb ship seated on the grassy stretch. It was upright, with its landing gear out and supporting it. It also bore the colors of the Capsule Corp Company.

Goku had recently phoned ahead to get Dr. Briefs to immediately set to work on the ship. Without any arguments or protests, Bulma's father began making preparations for Goku's journey. Even though five of the ships had been built and completed three months ago, they hadn't been fully prepared for any expeditions. However, Bulma told her father that Goku would need a ship for his own journey. After Gohan and his crew had departed, Bulma's father was hard at work, and didn't stop for a break for the following weeks. Goku was amazed at his devotion to duty.

"Hey Dr. Briefs!" Goku called up to the scientist, who was checking the exterior control board high above the ground. Up on a ladder, the man and his cat was checking the integration, and making sure it was all alright. When they heard Goku call up to them, the two looked down to see the warrior, dressed in his orange and blue gi, standing below them. Smiling, Dr. Briefs saluted and looked back up.

"Hello Goku! It's good to see you're alright. Well…that should do it!" the scientist replied, closing up the switch board and control panel, ceiling it back into its hull so it was pressurized. With that settled he climbed down and met up with Goku. The Saiyan smiled, seeing the man wipe his hands and thumb over to the ship behind him he had just been tending too. "She's all set Goku if you want to get going now."

Goku nodded affirmatively. "That's great Mr. Briefs. Thank you!" the Saiyan exclaimed. Dr. Briefs grinned, his cat purring on his shoulder.

"Oh, it was nothing. Hey, I've set up that gravity room thing you've asked for. You should be able to get the necessary training level you need. The controls and handling are basic, plus I've stocked enough food for you to last you years on this trip, knowing your appetite," the doctor continued, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Plus you've got some extra gi's in there if you ever ruin yours during your training."

The Saiyan warrior walked over to the ship, standing by the ramp and looking up at the massive, orb space craft. "Gee…must come with everything huh?" Goku exclaimed. The scientist chuckled and nodded.

"Oh yeah, she sure does. But uhh…do you want some tea before you go. My wife is brewing up some as we speak," Dr. Briefs said. Goku smiled and turned back to the good doctor. he shook his head and grinned.

"No thanks sir, I've got to get going now. How sure can this ship get me to Namek?" the Saiyan asked. Dr. Briefs placed his hands on his hips and looked up at the ship.

"Oh…it goes about 60 light speed so you should get to the planet a couple of hours after Gohan and the others arrive," Dr. Briefs said. "This will make up for lost time. But I'm sure you will get the necessary training time you need in between."

Goku nodded again and saluted. "Right! Thanks again Dr. Briefs. I'll be sure to bring them back as soon as possible," he called, stepping up the ramp. The scientist waved with his left hand and right hand in his pocket.

"I can certainly count on that son!" Dr. Briefs replied. "See you in a year Goku!"

Clambering aboard the ship with the ramp sealing itself up automatically, Goku took his seat at the pilot's chair. As soon as he was buckled in, the engine of the vessel fired up, the bleeps and bloops of the computer consoles starting up. One after another, the computer chanted itself the coordinates for the planet Goku was to head too. Then, with a heavy jerk, the ships shot skywards, flying high into the sky and breaking through the atmosphere. Within minutes, Goku was headed for Namek.

* * *

_**The months drift further on…**_

Training for the last several months was tough, harsh and brutal. As Goku was quickly catching up with his friends and family, he realized that he had a lot of his own work to do. Almost instantly after take off, he got down to his training. He honed in on his powering up skills, hard, brawl fighting styles, reflexes, deflecting blasts and strengthening techniques. He allowed himself to take everything he could at the hardest levels. Like Gohan, he trained most of the time he was up in space. The journey, though shortened thanks to increased speed, would still be a long trip.

Gohan and the others on the other hand were traveling at a slower rate. Passing by system after system, they slowly closed the gap between them and their destination. They were unaware of the dangers they would be heading into, but prepared none the less. Krillin, sensing that he was falling rapidly behind in terms of both strength and speed, decided to kick his training up a notch! Whenever Gohan and Piccolo meditated, he would occupy the GR as well and push himself beyond his own limits. Gohan was impressed. Krillin was able to tone himself up to 70 times earth's normal gravity, maximum without weights. Gohan's own advance was steady at first, but he eventually began training at 300 times gravity, plus twenty to thirty if given the opportunity. Piccolo's maximum was 100, and that's as high as he would risk it. Now feeling they were breaking more barriers, they pushed themselves harder.

Bulma had long ago run out of books to give to Gohan for him to read, so she had to result to writing more texts to give to him. Unfortunately for her, that didn't seem to work either. Gohan went through them like a pro. The blue haired woman gave up too easily and just went back to her own gadgets and tinkering. She got the idea of letting Gohan have more access to her lab every so often. Running low on ideas, she then just used Gohan for social activities, like talking, drinking tea, coffee…etc. Gohan was a pretty good converser. He even allowed her to have a look at the necklace he had made. She was amazed at its quality, but didn't pressure him to make another one.

Piccolo became more independent in this trip. He spent more time alone then ever. Gohan would always talk with him, Krillin as well, but not as much as Gohan. Even so, the Namek would always confine himself with his use of meditation. Gohan and the others weren't at all fussed, and the young Saiyan was used to his silence anyway. As per usual the Namek would mostly meditate, either in normal and/or simulated gravity. He would sometimes hone in on his skills with the use of his weighted clothes in the GR, but didn't bother as meditation allowed him to increase focus, concentration, skill and natural technique. His state of mind remained steady.

It wouldn't be long till they would reach Namek…it was only a matter of time. Bulma was the most nervous. Not really being the fighting type, nor being used to facing off against powerful villains or tyrants, she figured she should hang back while the others went and did their business. Piccolo, Krillin and Gohan had to intention on dragging her all the way along this next trip.

As they neared Namek, Gohan began to feel a bit uneasy. During his extended meditations, he could sense powerful ki's heading towards the planet. This knowledge forced him to push his raining to limits beyond even his own. He trained up to 400 times gravity, a level that pinned him so firmly to the ground it felt as though he would be crushed. He adjusted to it and trained on. It was also during these meditations he sensed a powerful evil of a sort. It wasn't Vegeta…it was someone else far more sinister and mysterious. Well, he could sense Vegeta as well, that was for sure, and he was stronger then before. There was a certainty that all of them would meet, with the exception of a fight to follow.

* * *

_**The last hour passes**_

Both Gohan and Piccolo were meditating in simulated gravity of 60 times, with Krillin training beyond their area and at a safe distance. The two of them were floating several feet above the ground, arms and legs crossed with the feel of the forces working against them absent. They were so strong now that they could barely feel this gravity pull on them. Anyway, Krillin was having a light-shadow spar, using this time to relieve himself of some tense thoughts, so to allow a clear head. He had left meditation hours ago.

Anyway, while the group was meditating and/or training their heads, they were interrupted by Bulma's face appearing in the screen TV above them. The blue haired scientist tapped on the glass and began speaking through the microphone.

"Hey guys!" she called, catching their attention as the amplifiers were louder here. It certainly got Gohan and Piccolo's attention, both of them looking up. They were slightly annoyed and disgruntled at being disturbed halfway through their session. Krillin couldn't be stuffed. All he had to do was stop.

Seeing them all looking up at her, she continued. "We're coming up on Namek now. It will be just two hours till we reach our destination so why don't you three go clean yourselves up then get ready for landing. I'll meet you at top level!" With that, she pressed the button and turned the screen off.

Now alerted to the attention of their upcoming landing, the three fighters headed for the exit. Gohan switched off the gravity via the console in the centre, and as soon as it was safe, they exited the room. Piccolo went ahead to the top deck, leaving Gohan and Krillin to have a shower and a quick wash up. Sooner rather then later because of the approaching landing time, they finished and got dressed. Together they headed up to the top floor. Along the way, the two of them talked.

"So, who do you think we'll be up against this time, Gohan; Vegeta or some other hideous being from another planet?" Krillin asked. "I've had my fill of aliens for one lifetime…"

Gohan shrugged, his brow furrowing in thought. "My senses are wide open Krillin. There is a certainty that we will meet Vegeta again…but there is also something else." Krillin raised an eyebrow and looked over at the child. Gohan dipped his head slightly, his eyes shadowing. "There is more then one powerful ki down there. I'm not worried at all about the smaller individuals; it's the other one I'm worried about. Vegeta is just slightly stronger then Piccolo now, but that all varies depending on skill, but this other one dwarfs them all. It possesses a tint of evil…a huge tint. It's something that gives you the chills because you've never sensed anything like it before. I think you are right…maybe we are going to go up against a monster…"

Krillin blinked as their lift stopped at the top floor. "But…do you think you will be able to beat it?" Gohan shrugged, unknowingly at first, but as the facts started to climb in, he began to have his doubts.

"This power has unfathomable depths almost. This is only because a barrier blocks out most of it, the rest you can sense is just the tip of the iceberg. This only leads me to the conclusion that this one being has the ability to transform," Gohan stated. Krillin gulped.

"Man…that can't be good…"

Walking down the short hall, the two of them reached the cockpit where Piccolo and Bulma were waiting. With no time to waste, the two of them buckled themselves in, and watched the planet just kilometers away closing in. Time seemed to fly from now on. An hour later, they were within the planet's range. Bracing themselves Bulma directed the ship for a steady-as-possible landing. The ship broke through the atmosphere. The landing was rougher then expected…well…only with the breakthrough of the horizon. When they were within the skies and could see land in sight, Bulma was able to regain manual control and steered the ship in for a gentle landing. The ship touched down on all supports, the engine cooling and dying down.

Opening the ramp down below, Bulma collected up her travel bag and, with the three passengers, exited the ship. Taking the elevator down, they stepped onto the planet. Readouts showed oxygen filled atmospheres with altering temperatures, but it wasn't much of a problem. The air was breathable enough.

As soon as they stepped onto solid soil, Bulma put the ship into its capsule. Assured that nothing was left behind, the four scattered out and began looking around their new surroundings. Krillin placed his hands on his hips as he admired the view, while Gohan and Piccolo stood on the edge of the perimeter, arms crossed and staring out onto the horizon. Piccolo took in a deep breath of air and, after processing the scent, nodded his head.

"Yup…this is definitely home…" he exclaimed, but with less enthusiasm then Gohan had expected. The young Saiyan nodded as well upon hearing this.

"It's a nice planet, Piccolo," Gohan said. His eyes scanned the air and land. The oceans were toned regular color blue, but the green skies above made the water glow a different color with the reflection. The clouds were white, so there was no problem there. The grass and land make up was also different. There were mostly islands around them, cliffs, hills and aqua colored grass. The trees were primarily trunks with orb formed branches with leaves topping them. The breeze was also light, yet there was no fauna to be found. It only took a moment of sight seeing to take in everything remotely possible.

When he drew his eyes to the sky, Gohan smiled when he saw what looked like a shooting star coming in through the atmosphere. Upon closer inspection, he saw that it wasn't a star, meteor or comet, but a Saiyan space pod. Krillin, Piccolo and Bulma saw it too.

"Well…what do you know…Vegeta's here," Gohan exclaimed. Krillin scowled at him.

"Oh, I see you're pleased to see him. What's the deal?" the monk asked. Gohan grinned, the wind picking up his hair.

"I sense he's changed. Don't worry, if he tries anything, I'll sort him out," Gohan stated. Krillin grunted and crossed his arms as well while Piccolo just listened to the winds.

"Easy for you to say…"

Bulma ignored their antics and brought out her dragon radar. With a quick check, she tossed it over to Krillin. The monk caught it and looked down at it. The blue haired scientist nodded affirmatively and placed her hands on her hips.

"There, you guys can take charge of the dragon radar. You'll need it. I can't be of anymore help to you here, so I'll just hang out over by that cave," Bulma exclaimed, thumbing over towards a mountain just a few hundred meters away. "It'd be safest if I stay out of your way. I'll keep in touch." Krillin smiled and nodded.

"Sure thing Bulma! Thanks!" Krillin replied with a wave. Bulma saluted in turn and left, dashing off into the distance. With her gone, Krillin turned to the other two and held up the dragon radar. Gohan looked over at the monk, seeing him grinned happily.

"Great! Now we can get to searching. Where too…"

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	10. Rescue and Reward

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Rescue and Reward_

Gohan and Krillin looked about, while Piccolo remained transfixed on the horizon, his ears twitching and arms crossed. He had no inclination of really getting involved with the two. Group work just wasn't his thing. The other two fighters however were checking the dragon radar, clicking on the range meter and seeing where they should start looking first.

Gohan, taking the dragon radar from Krillin for a moment, walked towards the centre of the clearing. Looking about while holding the radar in two hands, the young Saiyan studied the clearing and then the horizon. After a brief look out, Gohan closed his eyes and extended his senses far beyond the reach of his eyes. He began pin pointing the exact locations of the dragon balls. When his senses passed Vegeta's ki, he knew that the Saiyan prince was heading for one of the villages. He was looking for the dragon balls too. Then, a few seconds later, he struck a group of other ki's. Most of them were weaker then Krillin, while three of them exceeded passed his expectations. The middle power level was the strongest of them all, stronger then even Piccolo. Gohan assumed that they didn't know how to hide their ki levels.

After a few more seconds of searching, Gohan returned his sights to the dragon radar. There, he was able to mark the position of each dragon ball. His brow furrowed as he had spotted a problem. Krillin approached him, puzzled and worried.

"What's wrong Gohan?" he asked. Gohan looked up and glared ahead of him. He pointed in the direction he had sensed Vegeta.

"Vegeta's just landed and is on route for one of the dragon balls," Gohan said. He then pointed in another direction, just a few degrees west of Vegeta's position. "A platoon of about 20 mercenaries has picked up three of them already. That means that means we have four dragon balls taken since Vegeta is heading towards one of them. So…there should be three left for the picking. One is being guarded by the creator, another is in the village to the South of us and another, which is closest to the mercenaries, is free. We are open for options now. So…where should we go first?" Gohan asked, looking up at Piccolo.

The Namek, having been listening, glanced down at the pair. "I think we should go meet up with Vegeta. If what you say is true Gohan, then he can be of some help. Then we'll head over to that mercenary group to find out exactly who they are. I think that Vegeta was somehow involved with them," Piccolo explained. Gohan smiled and nodded. He was all for that plan, but Krillin was dumbfounded.

"Are you guy's nuts!" he yelled in shock. "Do you sense the power radiating off of those guys?! We don't stand a chance!" Gohan looked at him, so did Piccolo. The Namek was a little bothered by the monk's nervousness, since he was always like that.

"Who said we were going to fight them Krillin. All we want to do is find out who they are. Then afterwards we can fly North to meet the creator of the dragon balls. I'm sure he can help us," Gohan said. Krillin, coming to the realization of this plan, smiled soon after and nodded in understanding. Yes…meeting people was a lot better then fighting them!

"Oh…that's good…" he said, relaxing.

Piccolo glared over at the monk, Gohan tucking the dragon radar into his sash. "We've wasted enough time! We've got to get moving. Maybe we can catch Vegeta before he can get to that dragon ball," the Namek stated.

Receiving two nods in return, the troop shot skywards and began flying with all haste towards Vegeta's ki who was flying away from them. Picking up the speed, they were soon crossing over the vast landscapes of Namek. The green oceans glittered beneath them and the various islands whizzed past like it was back on earth. Flying at these speeds they were sure to make up for lost time. Gohan and Piccolo had their sights set on their objectives, but Krillin was a bit skeptical. He was contemplating the odds he would have if he was pulled into a fight with Vegeta. Gohan sensed his concern but didn't voice the matter. The monk was under enough pressure as it was.

Suddenly, upon extending their senses ahead of Vegeta's ki, they sensed a second, weaker ki meet up with him. Unsure of who or what it was and while they were still a great distance away from Vegeta, the three of them picked up the pace. Strangely enough, the two ki's beyond them were trying to outdo the other, although Vegeta outclassed the new ki level by far. Gohan found this fight to be an interesting one. It was like a test. He was even impressed when he saw that Vegeta was hiding most of his ki.

Moments later, the group finally reached Vegeta. They made it just in time to see a purple, alien creature get blasted by the prince. There was a flash of light, followed by a megaton explosion with body pieces reduced to ash and sent hurling in all directions. A second later, Vegeta was in sight. The Saiyan prince had his back turned to them and his hand held towards the area in the sky where the alien once stood. It was a short time later did he detect someone approaching him from behind, so he lowered his arm and turned.

Gohan, Piccolo and Krillin stopped just short of him, powering down. While Krillin took a cautious stance, Piccolo and Gohan floated there with their fists and arms at their sides. The two of them were glaring at the prince, wary of an attack. However, when it was thought Vegeta would be demanding a fight, the Saiyan prince smirked and turned towards them, fists on his hips.

"Well, well, well…look who we have here! So…" Vegeta grinned cockily. "We meet again Earthlings. I see you're here looking for the dragon balls like me…eh?"

Gohan, Piccolo and Krillin looked at each other for a brief moment before glaring back at the prince. "Yeah…we're here looking for them too. What about you?" Piccolo asked.

"Still killing innocent people?" Krillin asked as well, adding his concerns in.

"Still wanting to gain immortality?" Gohan queried curiously more then out of concern.

Vegeta chuckled and shook his head, holding a hand up towards them. "No, no, no, I'm done with that. I now see that there is no point in gaining immortality when one of soul purposes of life is to die. I'd like to live long and see how everything turns out. Besides," Vegeta exclaimed, looking over at the young Saiyan. "My true intention is to become the strongest in the universe. I'm looking forward to our next fight, Kakabrat…"

Gohan raised an eyebrow. "What? Not in the mood to battle it now, Vegeta?" he asked. The Saiyan price crossed his arms.

"Not right now. I've just recently gained the ability to sense ki like you, and I can tell you're still stronger. I haven't had the time to train like you, so it wouldn't be sporting in your sense to fight now. Besides, I'm more concerned about the here and now. Another fiend is looking for the dragon balls," the prince explained. Krillin nodded.

"So we've heard…" Piccolo raised his head a little towards Vegeta.

"Do you know who it is that's looking for the dragon balls?" the Namek fro earth asked. Vegeta nodded, turning in the direction of the group of ki's some distance away.

"Yeah. Follow me. I'll show you," the prince stated, taking flight. Gohan followed without another word, intent on finding out who these newcomers were. Krillin however remained posted, staring after them before looking up at Piccolo.

"Can we trust him?" the monk asked. Piccolo shrugged.

"Gohan trusts him. No reason to doubt him now," Piccolo replied, taking flight as well. Krillin, though still reluctant, eventually followed suit. The three of them eventually rejoined Vegeta. Now teamed up with their former enemy, they were on route for their next destination.

While they were flying towards the other group of ki's, Gohan turned to Vegeta, pulling up by him so to converse with him. "So…" Gohan began. "Why the change of heart?" he asked. Vegeta smirked, his eyes still staring ahead of him as he flew along.

"Let's just say I've…changed myself," he blankly replied. "Frankly, I have no intention of serving that slime ball Frieza any more. He's put me through enough shit for one life time. It makes me wonder why I ever wanted to serve that creep in the first place." Gohan raised an eyebrow at him.

"Frieza? Is that the enormous ki we're sensing now?" Gohan asked. Vegeta nodded affirmatively.

"Yeah. That scum ball is loaded. That's why I never rebelled against him before. Now that I've teamed up with you baka's, maybe we'll have a chance of beating him," Vegeta stated. He glared over at the Saiyan child. "There's so much I can tell you brat, but that can wait for another time."

Silence dawned on the group for the next minute or so. Soon enough, they reached the village where the mass of power levels was held up. It was amazing that they were still here. Even so, it gave the Z-gang some time to find out who they really were. Landing on a nearby mountain and cliff, the four of them lowered their ki's as much as possible and crouched low. From here, they were able to gaze down from their vantage point and into the Namekian village. The houses were made of the same hard mesh used to make Piccolo's space ship, only they looked more like turtle shells set up all around a clearing. But there was the familiar smell of death in the air.

Gohan and Piccolo were shocked when they saw Namekians lying about the area, burnt, charred and dead. There was also the group of mercenaries Gohan had detected earlier, all of them scattered and surrounding three more Namekians, two of them kids while there was one elder. The three of the strongest were also there, standing by three, enormous dragon balls. They looked to be the size of basket balls. Gohan didn't expect them to be that big. But that wasn't his concern now. It was what was happening that had caught his attention.

Ignoring the weakest of the henchmen, Gohan focused his attention on the three in his sights. The two of the weaker were standing on either side of the strongest. The one to the left was a fat, pink creature that bore a resemblance to a humanoid-cross-mutated armadillo. He wore black spandexes, white boots and black body armor with brown shoulder and torso plates. The one on the right side of the middle guy was a light green, humanoid like alien with a white cape, with white and brown body armor, blue spandexes and dark green hair tied back in a pony-tail. He also wore white gloves and a light blue scouter. The other guy had a blue scouter as well. And last but not least was a small, pink creature that resembled a lizard sitting in a black pod chair that floated several feet off the ground. He wore body armor too and had horns sticking out of his head. The scouter he wore was green and his ki level was enormous, especially hidden segments of it. This made Gohan worry a bit.

Upon seeing Gohan's attention drawn towards the three, Vegeta began supplying the group with information. "That fat pink slob is Dadoria. The green freak who cares more about his looks then anything else is Zarbon. And the one too lazy to use his own energy is Frieza. He's the tyrant I was talking about," Vegeta explained. Gohan nodded.

"I see…" Krillin looked over at the Saiyan prince, a little bit surprised.

"And you're telling us this because…" the monk began to speak. Vegeta scowled at him, finding his butting in an annoyance.

"…Because I hate them and, like I said before, if I have any chance of beating them, it's best if I team up with you lot. The Saiyan brat here is stronger then me, and I have no inclination of getting in his way," Vegeta explained. He then looked back down at the clearing. "I can deal with Zarbon and Dadoria, but Frieza still posses a problem. Your bald friend can easily beat those other minion rats. The Namek…well…" Vegeta glared over at Piccolo who glared back. "He's the same as me so he can take on Zarbon and Dadoria…"

Gohan was a little pent up from all this bickering and glared over at Vegeta. Though he wasn't one to argue, this talking is beginning to worry him. He didn't want the group down there to pick them up. "Listen Vegeta, we don't want to get into a fight with them now," Gohan stated, catching the prince's attention. "I may be far stronger then before, but I'm still not strong enough to beat Frieza. He's a Lizardia Memthromorph right?"

Vegeta furrowed his brow at the child. He wondered how he knew what kind of race Frieza was apart of. "Yeah! Why? What has that got to do with everything else" Vegeta growled lowly.

Gohan glared back down at the village. "Listen, his species, though weak they are, have developed the ability to transform. Frieza, however, is way different from his own kind, though a rarity in his case. His species is hard to come across. With his power reaching this level now, it would surely reach an awfully high magnitude if he was to transform to his maximum. It would out class all of us. I'm not ready to take him on now…"

Krillin, blinking in shock, glanced overt at Piccolo. "And uhh…who did you say he fused with again?" the monk asked. Piccolo scowled.

Vegeta, growling in frustration and sweating a bit, glared back down at the clearing below.

"Gah! So that's why we're cowering up here now!" he grumbled.

Without another word, the group of four went on to watching what was happening down on the village. Things were taking a turn for the worst, developing into something aside from before.

Frieza began demanding the remaining Namekians for the dragon ball. The peaceful souls of this planet denied his request and stood in front of the elder, defending him and the children. Frieza was annoyed at their resistance and he held a hand up to them. He blasted two of them without a second thought, watching their corpses fall lifeless and smoking to the ground. Gohan and Krillin were shocked, their ki spiking in anger. Piccolo was also outraged at the slaughter of his people, making him raise his ki level as well. Vegeta knew it wouldn't be too long till the group did something drastic.

"For the last time! Hand over the dragon ball!" Frieza demanded, pointing at the two Namekian fighters defending the Elder and children. They remained firm, standing dropping in their fighting stances. Though nervous they were and unable to do anything to stop them, they just held there ground.

Frieza, his right eye twitching growled. "Alright then…" he turned to his left hand man. "Deal with these insects Dadoria. Leave none of them standing!" The pink fighter chuckled and cracked his knuckles, walking over to the two Namekian fighters.

"With pleasure, my Lord," the fat fighter exclaimed. The Namekian fighters backed down a bit at the approach of this new foe. Dadoria towered over them, a malicious smirk in play. He cracked his neck from side to side, balling his fists and preparing for battle. "This I'm going to enjoy!"

The Namekian fighters, taking their chances now then later, charged at him, letting out simultaneous yells. Dadoria was ready for them. Just as one of the Nameks threw a side kick at him, he side stepped it before driving his right fist into the Namek's stomach, more or less knocking him unconscious. The second one he grabbed with his two massive hands. Twisting his ankle and spinning him round, Dadoria threw him back the way he came. The two Nameks fell wounded to the ground, one of them out of it. Dadoria grinned and pulled back his right palm, throwing it forward and unleashing a bellowing, blue ki blast at the two bodies. The explosion that sounded disintegrated the two Nameks in a ball of fire. When the smoke cleared, all that was left was a large, smoking crater. The elder and the two children stood back, frightened.

Dadoria chuckled, approaching his next target. "Well now rats. I guess this is good-bye for you! Say hello to your maker for me!!!" Dadoria roared, pulling his right palm back, ready to strike. But just as he was about too, there was a flash of light and a gust of wind. In a split second, a golden, narrow beam passed straight through his stomach. The beam struck the ground at the Namekian children's feet, making them all jump.

Dadoria's armor plates cracked, a massive hole punched straight through it and him. With a whimper and last breath of air, the pink fight fell to his knees before falling back, arms and legs sprayed out. The pink fighter was downed.

The sudden attack shocked everyone, even Frieza. Just as they were about to start searching for the mysterious attacker, it was revealed who they were seconds later. Gohan, Piccolo, Krillin and Vegeta appeared on the scene, Gohan landing right beside Dadoria whom he had attacked and killed. Piccolo charged down one of Frieza's men closest to Dadoria and downed him with two punches, killing him. Krillin did the same with another one, sending a swift, deadly kick across the face of a purple alien. Vegeta on the other hand faced down Frieza and Zarbon, covering Gohan's back.

Zarbon immediately became enraged at the sight of the Saiyan prince. Frieza however wasn't. With a loud growl, Zarbon powered up, crossing his arms over his face then throwing his chest out. With a cracking boom, his muscle span increased and his face morphed into that of a lizard like beast. His ki shot skywards, and with a roar, the monster flew straight at the Saiyan prince.

"YOU'RE MINE VEGETA!!!" he yelled. Vegeta chuckled, taking a stance.

Zarbon's speed was incredible, but Vegeta was the faster. The Saiyan prince grinned. "The Saiyan race is the strongest in the universe, Zarbon! Don't underestimate US!!!"

The green monster launched a killing punch aimed at Vegeta's face. The Saiyan prince side stepped it and then, with a quick palm strike, struck Zarbon's sternum. His fist punched straight into the fighter's chest, blood leaking out onto his glove. Zarbon coughed and chocked, blood seeping out of his mouth. He tried to get Vegeta to let go and grabbed the Saiyan's head, attempting to crush it. Without another word, Vegeta fired a blast straight into Zarbon. It went straight through him, sending him skywards. The Saiyan prince watched Zarbon fly up high then plummet back down. The lifeless corpse crashed to the earth right in front of Frieza.

As soon as the area was cleared, the four Z-fighters took up defensive positions, with Krillin taking one of the children and Gohan taking the other. Frieza furrowed his brow at the new group, two more of his minions coming to stand by his sides. The tyrant looked over at Vegeta and smirked.

"Well…if it isn't Vegeta. I knew one day you would betray me, from the very moment I met you," Frieza stated, his tail waving behind him, even though he was incredibly annoyed. Vegeta grinned.

"When I never even respected you in the first place? I think that your answer is quite reasonable," Vegeta replied. Frieza snorted.

"You've got guts," the tyrant said, looking at the others. "All of you. No one has dared oppose me before. I'm surprised you were able to beat Zarbon and Dadoria so quickly." Gohan held the Namekian child to him, while Piccolo stood before the Namekian elder.

"It's because we were stronger then them. And I've got news for you Frieza, that was only a segment of what we can do," Frieza stated. Piccolo nodded in agreement, his stance still firm and solid as ever.

"You'll pay for all the Namekian lives you have taken today!" the Namek stated. Frieza chuckled at the courage they showed. He looked between all four of them, left to right. His scouter wasn't in active use at the moment, but he could tell that this group was strong. However, he didn't give them too much credit.

"Hm…this should certainly be interesting. Maybe we can make this work," Frieza said, glaring at Vegeta. "I think I'll kill you all now!" Vegeta chuckled.

"Well, good luck trying because we Saiyans don't give up so easily. These earthlings are really powerful, and one of them is a Saiyan as well, and he's far stronger then you!" Vegeta stated. Frieza chuckled in amusement, murmuring erupting from his surrounding minions.

"Alright…alright we'll see where this goes. Die!" Frieza yelled, throwing his finger out and unleashing a pink, narrow beam that shot straight for Vegeta. The Saiyan prince side stepped it and watch it fly straight into the Namekian elder, barely grazing Piccolo's arm. The Namek from Earth was shocked, so were the rest of them. Frieza grinned and retracted his hand, opening up his palm and sending energy into it.

"You'll all be dead before you even hit the ground!" Frieza roared. Pushing Vegeta out of the way, Gohan rushed forward, the child Namekian still pinned against him in his right arm.

"Not if I can help it!!!" Gohan shouted. Just as Frieza unleashed a mighty blast of energy straight at the group, Gohan lowered his left hand towards the earth before bringing it upwards in a scooping motion.

Just as his hand was already moving upwards, there was a loud, vibrating pulse coming from underneath the ground. Their feet shook and several of the windows from the surrounding houses cracked. Then, as split seconds passed, the earth at their feet split, followed by a violent, rumbling. Everyone but Gohan was shaking out of control. Frieza's blast continued to fly towards them. But, just as it was about to strike, aqua colored crystals shot out of a ground, forming a wave over Gohan like a protective shield. The shield, coupled with an outstanding amount of density and energy, blocked the blast completely, its surface unharmed. Frieza was astounded.

"NOW! RUN!!!" Gohan shouted.

Not needing to be told twice, the four Z-fighters, along with the two Namekian children, shot off into the sky, flying at full speeds away from the scene. Frieza growled and glared after them. Just as he was charging up another blast, Gohan turned round and held his hand out towards the Namekian village below. With a growl, Gohan's eyes flashed gold and he unleashed a pulse of energy, yelling out "FLARE!" Suddenly, a bright luminosity consumed the entire area, blinding almost everyone who was looking up at the time, even Frieza.

With that cover, Gohan and his troop retreated over the horizon. When the light died out, it left Frieza and his remaining mercenary platoon standing in the middle of a quiet, decimated village. They found that the six were gone and were shocked at having lost Zarbon and Dadoria. Frieza didn't care though; he was just angered at being back-handed by a lousy decoy attack thrown by a crafty Saiyan child. The rest of his concerns were focused around the kid's abilities and strengths. It frustrated him that he was out done.

Enraged, Frieza pointed at one of the closest minions. "YOU! Get the dragon ball! There shouldn't be any Namekians guarding it now!" the tyrant ordered. With a salute and a 'Yes my Lord', the soldier was off, scampering into the village. Frieza then turned to his communication's op who was wearing a white, armor blending backpack with a radar plate. "And you! Call in the Ginyu Force! I've had enough of this! I want those rats exterminated so that they will not meddle in my affairs anymore! As soon as I get all the dragon balls, I will finally have my wish for immortality!"

* * *

_**About a mile away…**_

Krillin and the others glanced behind them to see if they were being followed. When they sensed that Frieza was moving in a different direction, they breathed in relief. Gohan's diversions have surely been a big help. So now that they were out of trouble, they could finally get back to the task at hand: finding the dragon balls. However, the Z-gang now had a more complicated task at hand. As soon as Krillin informed the group that they weren't being followed, Vegeta turned to him and furrowed his brow.

"So," he began. "What do you plan on doing with the Namekians, baldie?" the Saiyan prince asked. Krillin, blinking at the arrogant fighter looked down at the child he was carrying.

"Can you fly?" he asked. The Namekian nodded. When he saw this, Krillin released him and watched the kid drift upwards and fall into their formation. Gohan saw this and asked whether the Namekian he held could fly. He received the same response as Krillin had and in kind, released him. As soon as both Namekian children were flying by them, Vegeta rephrased his question.

"Well?" he growled. Krillin gulped and turned to the kids flying by them. Gohan eased up along side them as well.

"Do you kids have anywhere to go?" Krillin asked.

"Perhaps somewhere safe like: a hideout or something. You wouldn't want to have a run in with Frieza and his henchmen again," Gohan continued in place of Krillin. The two children looked at each other momentarily then looked back at Gohan. The smaller of the two, who wore white robes and a red vest of some foreign material, smiled and nodded.

"Yes, I think it would be safest if we went over to Guru's place. We have to inform him of what has happened as well," the child answered. Gohan nodded, relieved that this planet had its sanctuary's. But there was also another concern.

"That's great," Gohan exclaimed. The Namekian child who was speaking to him turned to his friend again. They whispered something brief before looking back at Gohan.

"Maybe you should see the Guru," the child suddenly suggested. "He might be able to help you, in turn for helping us."

Piccolo and Vegeta, having heard this, glanced back at Gohan and his conversation buddies. Krillin was also listening intently. It didn't take long for Gohan to register to these offerings of help and smiled in response to the two children. He nodded affirmatively.

"We'd appreciate it. You go on ahead and lead us too him," Gohan exclaimed. The child nodded.

"Of course," the Namekian replied. "Your intentions are far more pure then Frieza's. We can trust you on our and your part…" With that, the two children flew on ahead, gathering up speed so to get there as fast as possible. Piccolo, Vegeta, Gohan and Krillin had no trouble keeping up.

It was only a few minutes of flying to get to the Guru's place. Along the way the group, who were very new to this planet, took the time to admire the scenery, as well as take notes of the landscape. Though Piccolo and Krillin's interests were more focused on the planet, as well as what was going to happen later onwards, Vegeta and Gohan had their attention set on the energy levels miles away from them. There was the firm statement from Krillin saying that they weren't being followed. Gohan was only hoping that they couldn't trace them.

Pulling up alongside Vegeta, Gohan turned to him and smiled. "So Vegeta, care to fill me in on what you're hiding away in that brain of yours?" Gohan asked. Vegeta, surprised at having the child sneak up on him like that with that question, turned to him with an agitated look.

"What are you talking about?!" he growled in return. Gohan shrugged.

"You were saying before that you had something you wanted to tell me, only _that_ time wasn't the time," Gohan continued. Vegeta furrowed his brow in annoyance and looked ahead of him. Watching the landscape rush past them, as well as stare ahead at the two Namekian children leading the way, Vegeta contemplated his deep, dark thoughts and memories.

"Though it isn't really my place to tell you anything, what I have to share concerns us, your origins and Frieza," Vegeta stated, clearing his mind of every unrelated topic there was and focusing more overly on this subject. "Long before you were even born, or your baka father was even sent to live on Earth for that matter, I was sent by my father to work with Frieza, the same one you saw not too long ago. I hated the fact that I had to work for someone lower class then me and is a pain in the neck, but I had no choice. We Saiyans were mercenaries, an army for hire, who would serve any nation, planet or person who paid us. We however weren't paid, but threatened with total destruction. Frieza was an oppressor and still is, and I've been serving him ever since I was a child around your age. He treated us like scum practically. But then, when he learned of the legend of the Super Saiyan, it seemed to complicate matters for him. Ever since he heard about the legend, he became weary of us. When he noticed our ever growing strength, especially amongst the elite of us as well as rookie leagues, he sought out a plan to destroy us. He simply blew up our entire planet, the same hour your father was sent to earth."

Gohan blinked, his brow furrowing at the seriousness of what he was hearing. "And…you…what became of you, Vegeta?" Gohan asked. Vegeta looked up, his expression remaining stuck on serious like the young Saiyan child flying beside him.

"My father attempted to stop Frieza, but he and his small task force was easily wiped out. Then your grandfather, Bardock, who had just came back from a mission, wounded and scarred, tried to tackle Frieza head on, to save our planet. But he was wiped out by the same attack Frieza used to destroy Planet Vegeta. Only Radditz, Nappa, Kakarot and I survived. Although, I'm certain that there are still some Saiyans, who may have been off planet at the time, still alive," Vegeta said, with a tint of hope edged out in his voice. He shook his head. "I, as well as Nappa and Radditz, was told that Planet Vegeta was destroyed by a giant meteor. However, the cover up couldn't stop rumors from flooding in that Frieza had destroyed our planet. I knew better, but Nappa and Radditz didn't know until many years later. By this time, we had already been through hell."

The young Saiyan looked ahead of him, a little saddened by Vegeta's story. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the former prince, and was amazed at the story. This was just a huge chunk of history that he had missed. Now he knew how this guy Frieza fit into all this. He was sure Piccolo and Krillin had heard them as well.

With a sigh, Gohan mumbled some words that Vegeta was clearly able to hear. _"You weep for the blood of a bird, but not for the blood of a fish…"_

The prince furrowed his brow at him, but just let it be and looked ahead of him. Somehow, the child's words held meaning and really dug in deep. He just went on. "So you see brat, that's why I can't stand working for Frieza. For everything we have suffered, I want you to destroy him!" Gohan nodded.

"It's easier said then done. I'm sure the Namekian Guru will be able to help us on that matter," Gohan replied. Vegeta snorted.

"I doubt it. Nothing works better then an old clobbering. If you won't kill Frieza, I'll personally see to his destruction myself instead," the prince exclaimed with a smirk. Gohan chuckled.

"Looking forward to the challenge Vegeta…"

A minute later, they arrived at the Guru's place. It was a small, dome shaped building atop a mountain pillar high above the ground and sea. It was a marvelous spectacle. The craftsmanship on the house, as well as the pieces of natural, rock made structures, was well into the design area. It sort of reminded Gohan and Krillin of Kami's post on Earth, how he would always look down upon the people from his lookout, contemplating the almost endless depth of questions.

Within seconds, the group had landed on the tower. It was at that moment they were greeted by Guru's personal bodyguard. A Namek, wearing white gi trousers and a blue vest, came out from the shadows of the entrance and stood in their way. He bore an almost similar resemblance and height to Piccolo, and looked quite tough. Balling his fists, the Namekian Fighter glared at them.

"Who goes there?" he said. The two Namekian children rushed over to him, letting out happy shouts and hugging him at his legs. The Namek warrior, who at first bore that appearance of a tough fighter, was suddenly acting like a very respectful brother. At the sight of the two youngsters, he chuckled and knelt down in front of them.

"Nail! It's good to see you!" exclaimed the smaller of the two children. The Namek warrior, designated Nail, smiled and nodded to them.

"Dende...Kuban, it's good to see you two as well," Nail replied. Standing up, the three of them then turned to the four Z-fighters standing in front of them. The two children were still cheerful, whereas Nail became serious and cautious again. "Who are they?"

"They're Earthlings, Nail," Dende said. "They're here to help us. We brought them to see the Guru." Nail furrowed his brow, looking from one fighter to the next. Gohan and Krillin had smiled on their faces, whereas Piccolo and Vegeta remained with their arms crossed and serious scowls on their faces. They had quite intimidating appearances.

"I don't know…" Nail said. He then focused his attention on Piccolo. He raised an eyebrow. "I don't believe I've ever seen you around here before, brother. Did you come from Earth as well?" he asked. Piccolo shrugged.

"It's a multi-cultural planet. Of course I came from there," he replied dully. Nail smiled.

"Well, that's interesting to hear," Nail replied. He sighed and nodded. "Okay, you can see the Guru. But rest at ease, as he's feeling a little ill."

Nail then led the way into the small hut, followed closely by Dende and Kuban, then by Piccolo, Gohan, Vegeta and Krillin. As soon as they entered the hut, they saw a large Namek sitting in an enormous, marble white chair at the back of the room, sunlight falling onto him from the large window in front of him. He must be the creator and the elder, given evidence of his old looking age. He must be the Guru. When they reached the Guru, Nail, Dende and Kuban stood before him and bowed in respect. Gohan and Piccolo did the same, whereas Krillin stood dumbfounded and Vegeta stood disinterested.

"Ah…welcome my children…" the Elder Namek spoke in a deep, almost distant voice. He was really old. "It's so good to see you. Hm…and I see you have brought company…friends?" Nail allowed Dende and Kuban to do the talking.

"Yes Great Elder, they're from Earth!" Dende exclaimed. Kuban nodded in agreement enthusiastically.

"They saved us from Frieza and his men!" the other child exclaimed. The Guru nodded his head slowly.

"Ah yes, the others. Hm…" he mumbled, his senses extending towards the visitors. "I see that you have intentions of looking for the dragon balls as well," he continued, detecting those traces of knowledge. Gohan, in response to the Elder's words, approached. He came to stand by Dende and Nail who had their attention now torn to him.

"If we may, Great Elder," Gohan started. "With your permission, we would like to use the dragon balls to bring our friends back to life who were killed a year ago back on our planet," the child explained. The Guru nodded in understanding. Surely their intentions were far more pure then Frieza's were, and their reasons seemed fair enough. He could also judge a person from their ki, as well as delve into their minds.

"Certainly. You may use the dragon balls as you wish," the Guru said. "I have one of the seven. The journey for the other dragon balls will be treacherous. Frieza will have most of them by now. You'll have to steal them back from him. It won't be easy. But I will help you as best I can," the Elder said, taking a breath of air to help him along. "I sense great, hidden powers resting in each of you, even you Dende. Come here child…"

Dende approached the Elder passively, coming to stand beside Guru's chair just in front of the left arm rest. With little effort, the Guru raised his large hand and placed in on Dende's head gently. Then, with a low groan and silent chant, the Guru untied the bonds that held down the young Namekian's powers and brought it out. A light colored aura of blue and white surrounded Dende's whole body. At first it appeared to be of psychic tone, but then it transformed into pure energy. An aura exploded around Dende, and the young Namek felt all his hidden powers released. As soon as this process was complete, the Guru placed his hand back on the arm rest, and Dende stopped glowing.

Krillin was astounded at the amount of energy he felt radiating off of Dende now. It had tripled at least. "Whoa! Now that is what I call a big power boost! Hey, if he can draw that much out of Dende, imagine how much it will do for us!" Krillin exclaimed. Dende, still in state of bewilderment, walked back over to the group, looking at his hands. He felt that a lot of him had changed.

"T-This is…my power! Wow!" Dende exclaimed. Guru nodded and breathed in deeply. His actions drew the attention of the others to him again. They saw the large Namek nod to them before speaking.

"With this Dende, I have given you the gift of life and health. This gift will allow you to heal people. It will help," the Guru said with his breathing coming out raspy. He then turned from Dende to the others waiting, Nail and Kuban stood back. "For the rest of you, I shall unlock your powers one at a time, so you will stand a better chance at facing Frieza…a defeating him. Whose power shall I unlock first…?"

Krillin, who was at the front of the group walked forward. He stood in the same place Dende had been standing in and waited eagerly. The same process that had happened in the previous endowment happened again as Krillin's powers and true potential was unlocked. His power multiplied, and he was at least three times stronger then he was before. He was nearly as strong as Piccolo now. The next person to have his power unlocked was Vegeta. Though the Guru was quite hesitant at unlocking his, he did so, as Vegeta was an ally of Gohan's group. Next up was Piccolo, and then after him, Gohan. When Gohan had his powers unlocked, the Guru discovered the amazing depth and magnitude of his power. It was simply endless, and by the time he was halfway through the process, the aura explosion was ten times bigger then when Vegeta had his power unlocked. It lit up the entire room and shook the ground. Seconds later, about the same time limit as Krillin and Dende before, the Guru stopped. Gohan felt regenerated and stronger then ever, but looked up at the Great Elder apprehensively because he felt that only a small fracture of his power had been unlocked. The Guru was panting this time, exhausted from the outstanding effort. He looked down at the child, amazed.

"Your power…I…I sense an enormous amount of…of energy in…you. You child, have unfathomable depths of pure energy inside of yourself…it's incredible. The potential you possess young one…it's unimaginable. Unfortunately, I was only able to awaken a small amount of your power from you, but it should be enough to beat Frieza, even at his strongest," the Guru stated, finally beginning to relax. Gohan blinked, looking over at his friends to see them gawking at him. Piccolo was sweating more then usual and Vegeta was in a state of mute shock. Gohan looked at himself. He knew he had gotten stronger, but was he that strong now?

The Guru mumbled to himself, his eyes set on Gohan. _"I never realized…that such a pure, untainted soul could posses so much power. It is as if he was meant to be…a fighter. A Saiyan from Earth…yet his ki signature is different from others. It is mysterious…hidden…as if it were a blend of two powerful individual's formed into one. Such a thing is…was thought to be impossible. But there is something…different about this one…"_ the Great Elder thought to himself, watching Gohan interact with his friends who were still awing over his power increase. The Guru cleared his throat, catching the attention of the others.

"I have done all I can. But there are still tasks needing to be completed. All of you have a part to play," the Great Elder stated. Reaching up, the Guru brought down the dragon ball that had been carved into his chair and handed it to Krillin. The monk took the dragon ball, and held it to him tightly. It was certainly big. Thanking him, Krillin backed away. "This dragon ball will be needed in order for you to awaken Parunga. I am coming to the end of my time here in this world…so you must act fast. And Nail," the Elder said, looking over at his servant. The Namekian warrior stepped forward, listening intently. "You may go with the rest of these earthlings. Help guide them through troubled times…do whatever you can…"

Nail nodded and bowed. "Yes Great Elder," he replied, looking up and turning to the others. He smiled over at Piccolo. "The Guru has already unlocked my powers. The down side is that I'm still not strong enough to battle Frieza. But I may be able to help you out…" Piccolo raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" the Namek asked. Nail smirked.

"Unless you're not aware, we Namekians have the ability to fuse. If we were to fuse together brother, then we should have enough power to be able to take on Frieza without much trouble. If we fuse, we'll be stronger then ever, with more gained knowledge combined in the final being," Nail exclaimed. Piccolo had his arms crossed, and wasn't really liking this idea. The Guru and Dende were listening in curiously. Although, Dende sort of knew what was to come of this.

Piccolo furrowed his brow in thought. "Will I still be myself?" Nail nodded.

"Of course, if that is per agreement…" Nail replied. Piccolo scowled.

"I don't know…" Piccolo began, glancing over at Gohan. He saw the young Saiyan looking up at him with a very intense stare. The look he was sent made him think. "For one, Gohan here is a result of two fused individual's except they both share the same body. The change is that their spirits are intertwined and that they are far more powerful and intellectually gifted then before; a new entity. The problem is: Gohan isn't Gohan anymore." Piccolo said to him.

Gohan nodded. Nail was looking skeptically at Gohan. When he saw the child nod, he nodded as well and turned back to Piccolo. "We Namekians fuse differently. In these types of fusions, influenced and based on decisions as well as free will, we can choose to keep a soul intact or not. It's our ability to manipulate these bonds that make us more unique then others," Nail explained. Piccolo just stared with that ever serious look in play.

"So basically all that changes is the resultant's power level and intellectual strengths?" the Earth raised Namek queried. Nail shrugged and tilted his head to the side.

"That and the sharing of one being, although…when it involves these terms, we can use either body of the chosen soul. If you will permit me, then you can retain your body and soul, but I'll be apart of you too," Nail continued.

Piccolo took a moment to contemplate the Namekian Warrior's words. He glanced over at Gohan, seeing the young Saiyan staring up at him with a serious expression yet with a smile on his face. He nodded in reassurance to his friend, putting the Namek's thoughts at ease. Gohan's understanding made Piccolo feel more at ease. He then turned to the others. Dende was just staring with a sort of blank expression, Krillin was looking a bit concerned and Vegeta…well…the Saiyan Prince could care little about Piccolo's decision. That was just an understatement.

After careful thinking, Piccolo looked back at Nail and nodded. "Alright, but be warned, I'm not one to say please, thank you, or am very social for that matter," the Namek stated. Nail chuckled.

"Unless you want me to fix that for you…"

"No thanks, just the power, speed and intelligence increase will be enough," Piccolo said. Although, he felt that a bit of a tune up for his personality was quite tempting. Nail just nodded and walked closer.

"Alright then, so be it. Just place your hand on my chest…I'll do the rest," Nail instructed. Piccolo took a step forward and pushed his right palm into the other Namek's peg where the heart should be. From there, he watched and waited. Nail smiled and nodded.

"You won't regret this…" With those last words spoken, he closed his eyes and concentrated. Pushing everything else out of his mind, and making sure their guarantees were all in order, the fusion process began. Piccolo got a blinding shock when a bright, blue aura shot around Nail, enveloping both of them and causing a gust of wind to form around them. It kicked at everyone, blowing hair and clothes around as if in a hurricane storm. The Guru watched closely while Krillin, Dende and Kuban were in states of utter shock. They had never really watched this happen before, which was why it was so amazing. Vegeta was indifferent about the situation, but was still a little surprised. Gohan however wasn't as interested either. He just stood and watched, arms crossed and a serious expression in play.

A few seconds later, the light dimmed and vanished, revealing only Piccolo standing in place. Krillin, Vegeta and the others looked with astonishment, seeing the Namek staring at his hands in amazement. Blinking Piccolo grinned and fisted both his hands, throwing them to his sides. His ki took a massive jump, just as it had before when Guru awakened his hidden powers. He was now stronger then Vegeta. However, Gohan still exceeded him by far.

"This power…" Piccolo whispered to himself. "It feels…incredible!" Dende smiled nodding to him.

"Nail was very powerful himself," the young Namek stated.

Finally losing his patients with all this waiting, Vegeta glared over at the group and growled. "Hey, if you're all done standing around and jabbering on about this, we should get a move on and get those dragon balls before Frieza manages to get his slimy hands on all of them!"

Krillin nodded in agreement. "Yeah! The best thing to do is to go after the dragon balls in the other villages that Frieza hasn't gotten too yet! That way we will be able to keep one step ahead of him." Piccolo and Gohan were in unanimous agreement to this. Showing more disinterest to this then before, Vegeta nodded as well but couldn't care less what was decided. He just wanted to get out and fight.

Taking out the dragon ball, Krillin took the lead and dashed out of the hut. Vegeta and Piccolo followed. Gohan actually had the sense of mind to thank Guru for his help before heading off. By the time he rejoined the group outside they were already soaring off after the next dragon ball, which happened to be in a village nearby. Dende and Kuban watched them disappear, blinking in surprise.

Dende turned to the Great Elder and tilted his head up at them. "Elder why didn't you tell them that they would need the password to summon the dragon?" Dende asked. "That way they don't have to worry about Frieza getting all the dragon balls first because he wouldn't know how to awaken the dragon. If Gohan and the others manage to get all of them, they wouldn't know how to summon them either…"

The Great Elder smiled. "That is something for their and your later concern child," he replied. "You may follow them if you wish, and give them the password they need once they've gotten all seven dragon balls. From here I will alert the village elders that the group is on their way to collect them, so they don't have to protect them from them. It's all in their hands now…"

Kuban and Dende stared up at him, listening intently. They knew he had more to say for this matter. The Great Elder sighed. "It's best that you don't join them until they've collected all the balls. It will be a dangerous trip. And I sense that Frieza has called in some reinforcements…"

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	11. The Ginyu Force

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_The Ginyu Force_

_**Half an Hour later…**_

_**Some ways down South…**_

Gohan, Krillin, Piccolo and Vegeta were flying at leisure like paces, but were still traveling at a pretty fast rate. Their bodies were restricted of their uses of the aura, as they were concerned about Frieza or any of his other minions picking them up on their scouters. They were reduced to keeping their power levels to a limit. Vegeta knew the abilities of a scouter quite well and had informed the group just before they took off to keep their power levels under 1,000 when they were at least 30 miles away from any working tracker unit. Because they could easily calculate distances with their ki sensing abilities, they didn't have to worry. Frieza was way out of reach.

Krillin held the dragon radar up, checking to see how close they were to the dragon ball. He saw that the village was coming up fast, and that they were only a minute away. Lowering it, he turned back to the group and gave them the thumbs up.

"Almost there guys! Just a few more clicks and we've got another dragon ball in our hands baby!" Krillin exclaimed. At the same time, he made sure the dragon ball he held didn't slip from his grip. Vegeta muttered at Krillin's overworking enthusiasm, Piccolo just glared while Gohan smiled. Unlike the others, Gohan was more brightened when it came to good news. Vegeta couldn't care less and Piccolo…well…he was just Piccolo.

For a minute or two of continuous flying, Gohan and the others spotted the village over the horizon and, figuring it was safe, dove down towards it. Slowing themselves down for landing, they touched down on solid earth in the middle of the village. They were immediately greeted by the sight of familiar surroundings of houses, crops, trees and gardens, as well as by the native inhabitants. The Namekians who were currently working in their gardens had stopped at the sight of their new, unexpected guests. All the Namek's present in this village stared, keeping still.

Piccolo, Gohan, Krillin and Vegeta spread themselves out, so not to bunch up. Piccolo was looking around, taking in the peacefulness of what it was like here on his planet. If the thoughts of Frieza were absent from his mind, he would say that this was a pretty nice place. Vegeta had his arms crossed and was glaring at a couple of the villagers who backed away from his intense stare. While Piccolo and Vegeta did their thing, Krillin was looking about the village as well, mostly focused in finding the dragon ball. Gohan was as well, but was also looking around.

About a couple of minutes of standing in silence, a elderly Namekian approached them from round one of the buildings, accompanied by a Namekian child and two Namekian warriors, all of them dressed differently. The Elder smiled down at Krillin and Gohan, who had approached in turn. Krillin and Gohan bowed respectfully, and received a bow in return.

"You must be the warrior's Guru informed us of. He told us of your search for the dragon balls and your intentions. We were expecting you," the elder said in a kind voice. Krillin tilted his head to the side in surprise.

"He told you? How could you get a message out so quickly? It took us ages to get…ow!" Krillin winced, rubbing his side where Gohan had nudged him. The young Saiyan gave his point to him straight, staring at him seriously. He didn't mean to hit him so hard. He was just getting used to his knew strengths.

"Krillin," Gohan began. "Namekians have the ability to use telepathic transmissions. The Guru called ahead to ensure that our mission went without a fuss. Please, can you let me handle this?" the young Saiyan asked. Krillin mumbled and shrunk back, nodding.

"Alright…even though I didn't know about it…you didn't have to elbow me," he grumbled to himself. Man, that nudge was going to bruise. Gohan smiled up at the elder and nodded.

"Yes. If we may, can we please have the dragon ball?" Gohan asked before giving reason. "We need it to bring back our friends." The Elder nodded and waved to one of the Namekians. The service man walked forward, holding out the basket ball sized orb. The Elder took it and handed it to Gohan. The young Saiyan was sure to be gentle with it.

"Here you are," the old man exclaimed. "Use it wisely. The dragon on this planet can grant you three wishes. After which you cannot use them for another year." Gohan nodded and bowed.

"Understood. Thank you kindly," Gohan said.

The Elder bowed in turn. "Yes. Good luck with your journey friends."

With the accomplishment of retrieving a second dragon ball, Gohan walked over to Krillin and handed the dragon ball to him. The monk took it, tucking it under his other arm. Now he had two to carry. Although he didn't complain he had to do all the carrying, he should consider himself lucky. Gohan, Piccolo and Vegeta were sort of like the body guards. Even though Krillin could handle himself, he really didn't have much muscle.

"Come on, we should get going and head towards the next one!" Gohan said. Krillin nodded, smiling nervously.

"Ah, sure. And uhh," the monk replied. "We might need to find an alternate form of transportation. I don't think I'll be able to carry a third dragon ball." Piccolo walked up to him, catching Gohan and Krillin's attention. The villagers around them have begun to relax and were getting back to work. Although they did keep eyes of interest on their new other worldly visitors, their chores went on as per normal. Vegeta also rejoined the group.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it Krillin. Come on, we have to get a move on," the Namek stated. Gohan and Krillin nodded in response, knowing from key sense that if Frieza's intentions were so great, then he would be on his way. They would have to move fast in order to stay head of him, as well as keep him away from as many villages as possible.

Without needing to question where to go next, the group then packed up and headed for the next dragon ball. Ki's flaring up a bit to pick up speed; they shot through the skies like jets, keeping on track of time and checking if any of Frieza's men or himself were nearby. For now, it was smooth sailing from here on in, and the group was making record time. Gohan was satisfied. Their pace was tolerable, and they were sure to keep Frieza from getting his hands on the dragon ball.

Along the way, on route for the next dragon ball, Gohan, who had managed to get the dragon radar from Krillin before he handed him the second dragon ball, checked to see where the third one was. They were coming up on it fast!

A couple more minutes of flying, and they finally reached it. The group of four touched down on solid ground, a wide open field with not many trees growing and a couple of mountains in the distance. Apexes of plateaus also lay waste here, showing how well the planet developed without much disturbance. Once they were safely on the ground, Gohan, Krillin, Piccolo and Vegeta spread themselves out, with the young Saiyan child walking about, attempting in search of the dragon ball. However, before he could fully focus on his search, he sensed five ki's suddenly appear out of nowhere and land several meters in front of him. Stopping in his tracks, Gohan looked up.

Some ways in front of him, he saw five individual's of different shapes, sizes and power levels standing in his way. Gohan immediately realized they were Frieza's men from the tell-tale armor and baldsome appearances. In order from shortest to tallest, Gohan took note and description of each and every one of them. The shortest, who was even smaller then Krillin but bigger then Chouzu was a green, alien like creature that reminded Gohan of the toads back on Earth, but had four eyes, stood up like a person and wore clothes. He was tubby, which didn't mean much to him because his power level was incredibly low. Second was another humanoid looking fighter with red skin and white hair. He wore black spandex shorts, white boots and clothes, just like the previous fighter. He had the second highest ki here. The third, who was the strongest here, had purple skin, stood to about Goku's height, had black horns and bore a very monstrous appearance. He stood above them all. The forth, who was also the forth strongest was a massive, human species of alien with red hair and stood about the height of Piccolo. Last but not least was an even taller fighter with blue skin and looked more monstrous and ugly then the third guy. He was the third strongest, and was taller then the lot of them.

Gohan stood his ground, with Piccolo, Krillin and Vegeta coming to stand by his sides as soon as they spotted the five new comers. They glared them down, making sure they didn't take their eyes off of them. Vegeta was scowling at them with disgust while Krillin, Piccolo and Gohan stood their ground with serious expressions in play.

"Who the hell are you guys?" Krillin blurted.

Instantaneously, in response to Krillin's exclamation, the five began striking poses one after the other. Of course, introductions for them meant a big opportunity to make _asses_ of themselves. The human with red hair went first and shouted, "I am Ricoome!" The second to strike a pose was the tall, blue guy who did a similar pose to the first one but another side. "I am Burter!" The third was the red skinned fighter, who struck a whole new, different pose. "I am Jeice!" Forth was the small green, frog man, who coped in sync with Jeice and the others. "I am Guldo!" Then the fifth one, the purple guy went, doing an even strange finishing pose. "And I am Ginyu!!!"

Then, all at once they shouted. "And we, together, make _THE GINYU FORCE_!!!"

Silence. Gohan, Piccolo, Krillin and Vegeta were now staring at them strangely, blinking in surprise. Just as the second hand struck the top, sweat drops appeared on their foreheads. The five fighters were still stuck in those poses, waiting for a response. But all they got was a long, silent stare followed by a cough from Krillin. Vegeta shook his head.

"Idiots!" he muttered, glaring up at them. "And Frieza called you in to help him?! God, he's even stupider then he looks to call in The Ginyu Force! And what's with the poses!" Vegeta said, shouting the last part at the five, mercenary fighters.

The five Ginyu fighters took up their regular standing positions, side by side with their fists on their hips. They all leered at the four Z-warriors standing in front of them. In favor of his entire group, the Captain of the Ginyu Force, which happened to be Ginyu, spoke up, obviously in outrage and anger. "Hey!" he shouted. "We put hours of thought, hard work and practice into these poses to get them right!"

Piccolo's eye twitched, his finger tapping his bicep impatiently. He had his arms crossed, and was looking more annoyed then ever. _"And to think these guys are here to stop us…I bet they don't take their fighting styles seriously either…"_

Krillin tilted his head at them. "And uhh…how is that supposed to appeal to us?" the monk asked. Ricoome stomped forward, looking really pissed.

"You dopes!" he boomed. "It's supposed to strike fear into your hearts! For we are the mighty…!"

"Yeah, yeah, the mighty Ginyu Force…sheesh," Vegeta grumbled. "We all heard you the first time…"

Ricoome stepped back, allowing Jeice to take the floor. "Well, seeing as that you sewer rats are causing all the trouble in the world for Frieza, we have been ordered to take you out!"

Burter grinned and pointed his finger skyward. "Orders from the very top!"

The Captain nodded in agreement. "And that top is Lord Frieza himself! His majesty is very impatient, and likes these types of jobs done in accordance with his firm handed instructions. You have a choice…" Guldo stepped forward this time.

"Either die slowly and painfully…!"

"…or quick and painlessly!" Ricoome continued. The entire Ginyu Force nodded in unison to this, all in unanimous agreement with their statements. They maintained their formal, intimidating stands, side by side. Gohan, Vegeta, Piccolo and Krillin however, weren't moved in the least.

Burter shrugged and crossed his arms, continuing on with their ranting. "Otherwise, we have other options available!" he declared. Jeice nodded affirmatively.

"You see, we planned a different routine for every kind and type of fight. Today, we prefer the one on one bout between you guys and with each of us. The order goes from weakest to strongest, as tests to see how well our opponents do," Jeice lead on. Captain Ginyu followed up with his announcements.

"We follow the rules of Engagement. It's sporting! No blows below the belt or poking in the eyes. And if you give up, are knocked unconscious or killed, you lose!" the Captain exclaimed. Ricoome grinned and held up a fist.

"And we always win!" he boomed. Guldo chuckled.

"That's the real beauty of it. We are unbeatable!" the frog man exclaimed. Krillin blinked.

"And…you guys are supposed to be Frieza's best men?" he queried. "How can you with those stupid routines?" Vegeta snorted.

"Forget about their routines. The point is their claims are about to be stretched," the prince announced, smirking. "So, if it's a fight you guys are looking for, then you've found it!"

Captain Ginyu snorted. "Not much of a fight from what we can see monkey boy. Send up your first man!" he shouted. The leader then glanced down the line towards his first. "Guldo, you're up!"

The green fighter chuckled and slammed his fist into his palm, grinding it to get his point across. With that threat made, he walked forward. As soon as he was at the head of his pack, he took on his fighting stance and awaited his first opponent.

While they were standing around, the Captain looked over at the Z-warriors and nodded. "This will be a fair, one on one tag battle! You can switch fighters whenever you please…"

Krillin looked towards his comrades for assistance. When the monk set his sights on Gohan, he saw the young Saiyan turn to him and smile. "You can take on that guy Krillin. You're strong enough to beat him. Don't worry; we've got your back. We'll look after the dragon balls for yah," he stated. Krillin nodded, setting down his luggage and stepping forward. He stretched his arms out, cracking his knuckles.

"Alright! I'll be your first and last opponent eye-balls!" Krillin exclaimed, dropping into a fighting stance once he had taken to the field. Guldo smirked.

"Bring it on cue-ball!" he retorted.

With a bellowing, battle roar, Guldo flew forward. The midget, though fat and being weaker then the rest of his troop, was still quite fast. But Piccolo, Gohan and Vegeta found his performance quite slacked. Krillin grinned and leapt into the air, watching Guldo pass underneath him. The monk landed and rolled. When he touched down on his feet, he spun around and sent a quick energy ball at Guldo's back. The frog man kicked the ground and leapt away. Incidentally, Krillin's energy ball was heading straight towards Gohan and the others. The three of them stared as the energy ball headed towards them, disinterested with their expressions all serious and arms crossed. Just before the ball could connect, it changed course and struck the earth just several feet to the side from Gohan. The young Saiyan had purposefully averted it with little or no effort.

From here, Krillin proceeded to pursue his opponent. He engaged the little man in a furious duel. Leaping and shifting across the valley, Krillin honed in on his assault. Guldo blocked some of his punches and kicks, but most of them connected. After barely avoiding a kick, he began attacking, only to miss or have his attacks blocked. It was easy to see that Krillin's power exceeded his by far. Guldo was no match for the new Krillin.

Jumping around the wide spaced area between the Z-fighter's group and the Ginyu Force, Krillin and Guldo fought on. Fists clashed and the ground trembled beneath them. However, it was not to last. Having just gotten into the fight, Guldo was quickly losing ground. Krillin was pounding on him. Already he had his scouter stuffed and his lip bleeding.

Back-flipping out of away from Krillin, Guldo took a firm stand some distance away and, locking onto Krillin, powered up. His two, large eyes sitting on either side of his head, glowed a bright blue, catching Krillin's attention as he flew at the toad fighter. Suddenly, Guldo unleashed his surprise attack on him, two narrow beams firing out at the monk. Krillin slowed and skipped out of the way, avoiding the first two shots that struck the earth where he once stood, or was going to be. He barely had enough time to avoid the next few shots, jumping from side to side while progressing towards his opponent. The beams passed by him, grazing his arms once or twice but never hitting. Finally, after having all he could take, Krillin halted and took a defensive stance. Guldo used this opportunity and blasted him with his eye beams.

With quick reflexes, Krillin held up his hand and deflected all the beams heading towards him. He slammed them out of the way in every possible direction, frustrating Guldo further.

After a few more seconds of this poorly phased routine, Krillin countered. After slapping a last set of eye blasts away, Krillin cranked back his hand and threw it forward. His blue ki blast flew at Guldo at an alarming rate. The toad fighter however was prepared. He leapt to the side, avoiding it and watching it fly off into the distance, where it struck a open area harmlessly away. That moment of distraction allowed Krillin to make his way up to him, flashing in and out of super speed to confuse his opponent. Guldo's eyes shifted, but didn't catch Krillin until he was right in front of him. The monk sent a powerful punch straight into his face, toppling the toad.

Guldo rolled backwards across the ground, stopping with a bruised and bleeding face. Krillin landed, holding up his hand so that his palm was pointing upwards. In a flash of light, a golden disk appeared floating above his palm. It buzzed and flickered, with the monk Z-warrior grinning confidently.

"Destructo-Disk!!!" he shouted, throwing it forward and sending it straight at Guldo.

When it seemed that the disk would hit on home, something shocking happened. Guldo got to his feet, taking in a deep breath of air and focusing the energy around him. Drawing it in quickly, it expanded and suddenly, time stood to a stand still. Guldo had just enough time to get out of the way of the disk's path before allowing himself to breathe again. The disk flew straight past the spot he was before colliding with a mountain, slicing a piece clean off before disappearing. Krillin was shocked and confused once time started moving again.

Guldo chuckled, taking a stance. "Try and hit me now baldie!" he shouted. Krillin was frustrated. Clenching his fists and teeth, he glared straight at the toad. Vegeta and Piccolo were also confused.

"What the?!" Krillin growled. "I thought I had him. I could have sworn I downed him. There was no way he could have avoided that!"

"Krillin, watch yourself!" Gohan called from the sidelines, catching his friend's attention. The young Saiyan stood there, arms crossed and concentrating hard. Piccolo and Vegeta also turned to him in curiosity. The child's sword end glimmered and his necklace piece shone mystically. Something wasn't right for him, and he knew it. Gohan furrowed his brow. "The guy you are fighting has the ability to freeze time. Whenever he holds his breath he harnesses the energy around him and takes control of it, holding it for a brief moment. The effects are temporary for a few miles for a short period of time until he can take another breath!"

Krillin, Piccolo, Vegeta, Guldo and the others were dumbfounded, especially Guldo. Krillin couldn't believe it. That technique should surely cripple his chances of winning.

"H-How did you k-know about my technique?" Guldo stuttered. Gohan smirked at him.

"No one really knows, but I do," Gohan replied. "My soul is utilized of the essences of both a Saiyan and a Spirit. Spirits walk amongst the living endlessly through time and therefore have the ability to harness it naturally. Your ability to control it as well however has no effect on me. Even when time stops Spirits may continue to wander for years on end, whether it's their choice or not."

Guldo growled through gritted teeth. "Why you little puke! No matter!" he grinned maliciously and glared at Krillin. "I can still take you down!" Krillin grinned,

"We'll see about that!" he shouted, charging at the frog fighter. Guldo charged back, clashing with Krillin in the centre. Both fighter sent flurries of punches at each other, flashing through the air at incredible speeds. After a quick, relentless brawl, the two broke away. Guldo repeated the same eye blast technique he had used before after leaping back, shooting it at Krillin. Krillin ducked, dodged and avoided them, jumping when some keen shots were aimed at his feet. As soon as Guldo ended it, he powered up a ki blast and threw it at him.

Krillin rolled along the floor, avoiding it. Getting on his hands and knees, Krillin pushed off as if in a running race. With a yell, he charged, holding his right hand up and pulling it back. Watching Guldo close in on his sights, Krillin chuckled and powered up his own ki attack. With a yell, he sent the golden ki blast Guldo's way. But it was not to work. While Krillin was in mid-striking distance, Guldo sucked in air and froze time again. With that, he walked out of the blast's way even though it had stopped and then rushed over to Krillin. With the freeze still in the game, Guldo began hammering Krillin who was still floating in the air mercilessly. He pounded the monk in the gut and smacked him across the face a dozen times before needing to take a breath, leaping away, he allowed time to continue.

As soon as time rolled on, Krillin immediately felt Guldo attacks and was knocked back, his blast dissipating at the release of energy flow. The monk rolled across the ground, skidding to a stop. What appeared over his body were bruises, cuts, rips in his clothes and a bleeding lip. He coughed and choked, finding it hard to breathe from the gut shots. Gohan scowled. Krillin was way out of his league now. He would have to intervene.

Guldo chuckled, holding up his hands in a stance. "So whelp, had enough!" the frog man asked. Krillin breathed heavily for a moment then grinned, glaring over at his opponent.

"Not…really," he stammered. With a quick power up, Krillin's aura exploded around him. Getting to his feet he staggered around before flying straight at Guldo. The Ginyu fighter who was nearly out of breath decided to clash head on with his opponent this time. He took a stance, readying himself.

But then, just as Krillin was flying at him, the monk changed tactics. With a grin, he held his hands up on either side of his face and yelled. "SOLAR FLARE!!!" The blast of magnitude level sun rays struck Guldo dead in the face, permanently blinding him. His eyes turned to crusts at the brightness. Vegeta, Piccolo and the Ginyu Force had to shield their eyes, whereas Gohan wasn't affected in the least. He continued to stare, his vision seemingly darkening under the brightness of the solar rays. As a spirit, he had the ability to see in the light and dark. It was apart of his shadow training.

As soon as the light died, Guldo was staggering back, hands plastered over his tightly shut eyes. He was crying and whimpering in pain. Krillin on the other hand flew onwards, left hand held down and a blue ki ball surfacing. Guldo yelled out and tried to open his eyes, but the pain was unbearable. He was severely damaged now. Krillin closed the gap. With a grin, he appeared right in front of him, left palm staring Guldo dead in the face, even though the toad couldn't see. There was a burst of energy and a blue light that consumed Krillin's opponent. In a flash, the fighter was down, the blast ripping through the air and colliding with the ground meters away.

Krillin spun over and landed, turning around. As battered as he was, he was still able to see. From here, he watched the lifeless corpse of Guldo hit the ground. Only this time, it wasn't…quite complete. The body was missing its head. Krillin cringed at the sight, but was overly satisfied with his victory. He grinned and gave his friends the V sign. Vegeta and Piccolo just scowled while Gohan gave him the thumbs up back. He didn't have to step in after all.

The rest of the Ginyu Force however was furious. With an infuriated growl, Captain Ginyu glared over at Ricoome and nodded to him. "Alright…you're up next…"

Ricoome, easily recovering from his shock and anger, chuckled and slammed his fist into his palm. With a sinister glare he walked forward, his feet stomping on the ground. "He-he," he laughed inwardly. "I'm going to have fun with you baldie! It's time for me to bring the blood and pain!"

Krillin freaked and backed away. It seemed as though he really was going to get pounded, for sure! But suddenly, a cape fluttered passed him and immediately, Piccolo stood in front of him. The Namek, not even bothering to remove his weighted clothing took a stance. Ricoome stopped at the first sight of him, surprised none to say the least. Krillin backed away, with Vegeta and Gohan remaining rooted to the spot.

"Hold up Krillin, I'll tag. Now it's my turn to fight!" Piccolo declared. Ricoome glowered, whereas Krillin was grateful for the Namekians support.

"Hey, get out of the way green bean, or I'll flatten the both of you!" the Ginyu Force's colossal member growled. Piccolo chuckled, his eyes remaining plastered on his opponent.

"Not likely, I know how strong you guys are," he replied. The red headed, megaton fighter gritted his teeth and took a stance.

"HA! I'm going to rip you apart!!! AAAAAATTTTTAAAAAAAAAAACCCKKKK!!!" Ricoome bellowed, not even bothering to power up and flying straight for the Namek. Fists cranked back, he gradually made his way up to the Namek, seeing that his opponent was just dropping back into a regular standing position. Piccolo reached up and took off his turban, smirking wildly.

Then, rising up above the Namek, he threw a straight upper cut into his stomach. But when it seemed he had struck, it didn't His fist passed through an after image and emerged out the other side of the Namek's cape, tearing a hole in it. Ricoome roared, but then appeared flabbergasted as he stared down at his fist, which still had the cape entangled around his wrist.

"W-Where'd he go?!" he shouted in shock. Suddenly, Piccolo, now free of all weighted clothing, appeared behind him, right leg cranked back. Jeice saw him and shouted.

"RICOOME!!! BEHIND YOU!!!" But it was too late for him.

Piccolo sent a walloping kick right into Ricoome's backside, sending him rocketing skywards, yelling at the top of his lungs. The Namek chuckled and dropped to the ground before shooting up into the sky after the red headed fighter. Ricoome continued to soar, whereas Piccolo pursued.

After realizing that momentum was losing on him and that the pain in his backside had subsided, Ricoome spun through the air and stopped, facing down towards the planet again. He saw Piccolo flying at him, hands up and back in a moving stance, ready to attack. The behemoth of a fighter growled and pulled back his hand, throwing it forward and unleashing a purple energy beam at his opponent. The blast was incredible for its size and looked to be able to consume Piccolo without any trouble whatsoever. But that was not to be. Crossing his arms over his face, Piccolo spun through the air like a tornado funnel, his aura bursting around him. When the blast struck, it was chopped to bits rather then going through its initial explosive stage. When it was completely out, Piccolo stopped and flew on, disappearing into super speed, speeds beyond Ricoome's capabilities.

Ricoome gasped and searched the skies for his opponent, but was unable too due to his low mental capacities and slow reflexes. It seemed as though he had lost all sight of the green fighter, but he was soon to be relieved of all tension when Piccolo appeared once more. This time, it was behind him again. Ricoome wheeled around, shocked.

Piccolo let out a growl, bringing his right fist back and clenching it. A orange orb of energy formed around his fist, crackling with pure and raw energy clashing together. With the charges in place, Piccolo threw his fist out in Taikwondo style, letting out a raw and announcing the title of this attack.

"MAKOSEN PUNCH!!!" Piccolo yelled, his fist connecting with Ricoome's stomach.

Since Ricoome was perfectly aligned with the valley far below, this attack was to prove more fatal then ever. There was a boom of energy after the force of Piccolo's energy enhanced punch had ruptured his interior organs. The orange orb of energy around Piccolo's fist expanded and grew, forming a ball of energy that suddenly shot out like a blast. Piccolo helped it along by opening his palm and pouring his energy into it. A result was Ricoome being pushed straight back down to the planet, the blast ripping at his armor and stomach. The red haired fighter cried in agony as he fell, plummeting back to the planet while being pushed by the blast. Moments later, he struck the ground, the mounting explosion erupting in a ball of white fire that consumed Ricoome and forming a crater where he landed.

Within seconds, the explosion lost its heat and fuel. The fire ball died out, revealing a smoking crater with Ricoome's scarred and torn up body lying smack bang in the middle of it. His eyes were open and blank, showing no life whatsoever. He was dead.

Burter, Jeice and Ginyu were in utter shock. They stared at the crater where Ricoome laid, unable to believe that they had lost two members of their team already. Piccolo then appeared on the other side of the crater where Krillin, Vegeta and Gohan stood. Krillin was astounded at how the fight went while Vegeta and Gohan just stood with smirks on their faces. The Namek checked to make sure that his opponent was beat. Finding to his satisfaction that he was, the Namek reproduced for him another cape and turban set before dressing into it. Walking back to rejoin his team mates, Piccolo looked back towards the Ginyu Force, with Vegeta making the special announcement.

"Well, it looks as though there are only three of you left, Ginyu Force trash!" the prince shouted. "It looks as though things aren't looking up for you right now!"

Ginyu grumbled and glared at Burter and Jeice, seeing them standing with bottled up anger just waiting to explode. You could tell how enraged they were by their expressions and stances. They looked about ready to pop. "Screw the honor system boys!" the Captain said, drawing their attention to him. The purple alien nodded to them. "Take them!"

Without needing to be told twice, Jeice and Burter leapt forward so that now they took the stage. Dropping into similar fighting stances, they glared out towards Piccolo and the others, waiting for their next opponent. Gohan smirked and glanced over at Vegeta, seeing the prince gleaming with eagerness. He really wanted to get into this fight.

"Vegeta…" the young Saiyan child exclaimed. Vegeta chuckled and cracked his knuckles.

"Just try and stop me!" he stated. With a quick power up, he flew forward, disappearing into super speed that managed to stagger the senses of Burter and Jeice.

A gust of wind struck the pair of fighters as Vegeta flew straight past them, right in between them. The Saiyan Prince emerged behind them, grinning wildly. Then, with an effortless thrust backwards, he sent his elbows into their necks. The blows were tremendous, making them topple forward onto their hands and knees. With that Vegeta pivoted on the spot and flew skywards, getting out of their reach. Jeice and Burter glared after him, sweating nervously and obviously bruised.

"Hey! You'll pay for that Vegeta!" Jeice yelled. He looked over at his friend. "Burter!"

The blue alien nodded and they both got up. A blue aura surrounded the tall fighter, whereas a red aura exploded around Jeice. The two powered up, taking symbolic fighting stances and concentrating hard. "SIMULTANEOUS HURRICANE ATTACK!!!" the shouted before shooting skywards like rockets, ki trailing behind him.

Vegeta saw them progress upwards towards him and prepared, bracing himself and focusing. Jeice and Burter were upon him within seconds. As soon as they were level, they lashed out in simultaneous fashion. Immediately, flurries of punches flashed through the sky at Vegeta like there was no tomorrow. Vegeta dodged and blocked them with ease, grinning as he looked between his two opponents. With their auras still flaring fiercely, the two Ginyu Force members attempted to bring Vegeta down for the count, but were unable too as they didn't have the proper technique, speed or strength. They were buggered the moment they got into this fight.

Then, he took it up a notch, disappearing into super speed. Burter and Jeice attempted to follow, shooti9ng through the sky after him. You could still see their aura on the move, even as the word was like a blur around them. They caught up with Vegeta soon enough, and were once again raining down on him punches and kicks.

The Saiyan prince easily avoided them, allowing them to tire themselves out. Soon enough, without even trying, Burter and Jeice had worn out on their starting point. Their energy was reduced to nothing, and they were now thoroughly exhausted. All Vegeta could have done was float in the same spot and don't even bother moving as Jeice and Burter were so slack. Their attacks zipped through the air, their eyes desperately trying to keep up with Vegeta's moves. All they could do was see him…at least they thought so. Their bodies however wouldn't respo9nd well enough to keep up with the prince, he was way too fast.

Throwing one last punch, Burter attempted to hammer Vegeta but ended up hitting Jeice in the face. Vegeta twirled through the air and floated up, getting out of their reach. Jeice staggered back, growling in agony before glaring over at Burter with a black eye.

"You idiot!" he yelled. "Why did you do that for?!" Burter growled back.

"Me! You're the one that got in the way!" Burter yelled back. Jeice scowled.

"Well, if you weren't so upbeat on hitting him, then you wouldn't have hit me!!!" Burter clenched his teeth and fists, glaring at his partner.

"Is that so!" he retorted. Then maybe you shouldn't have been so focused on attacking either!!!"

Jeice shook his head and waved his hands in front of him, ceasing this argument once and for all. "Wait, wait, wait! This is just stupid! We're all frustrated here okay!" he eased up. "Vegeta's making us fight amongst ourselves. It's all his fault!" Burter blinked as the realization of what Jeice came back to him.

"Oh, I see," he said in response. Jeice nodded.

"Yeah, let's get that twit! Where is he?"

Looking around, Burter and Jeice stood back to back, searching the skies for their opponent. They couldn't find him fast enough, for the prince was already on the attack. Blurring into focus in between them, Vegeta held his hands out and pressed them into their backs, powering up his next attack. The prince chuckled and let out a yell, unleashing his next attacks. The balls of energy that formed expanded, enveloping the pair's backs like balloons ready to pop. Hen, without warning, the two attacks exploded at point blank range, outwards so that the flare didn't rebound. Jeice and Burter staggered forward, burn holes in their armor.

"Where the hell is that punk!" Jeice shouted.

"Behind you!" Vegeta stated, coming up behind his opponent after reappearing from super speed. Jeice shouted and spun around.

Before he could do anything, he got hammered across the face by a swift, powerful punch launched by the prince. The attack sent him flying back, spitting out blood. His scouter was also damaged. Burter responded to this by flying forward and engaging Vegeta in a furious brawl. The prince chuckled as he easily ducked, avoided and blocked all of the blue alien's attacks. He shifted through the air as if Burter's efforts were nothing. He chuckled, seeing that Burter was growing steadily more and more angered at his inferior abilities to take down his opponent. The flame haired Saiyan leapt back, ceasing this senseless antics.

"You'll have to do better then that, chump!" the prince taunted. Burter growled and flew forward, fist held back, ready to attack. But just before he could punch out, Vegeta phased out and shot through super speed directly for the blue alien's open space. The Saiyan Prince struck him straight below his ribcage, his punch hitting on home and breaking bones and rupturing the alien's internal organs.

Burter coughed and choked, blood spewing from his mouth. Vegeta grinned and then sent an upward elbow up into the alien's chin. Then finally, without any hint of mercy or pity, Vegeta leapt up and sent a death kick across Burter's face. The blue fighter was sent plummeting from the skies above, where he landed meters away from the crater where Ricoome lay and the body remains of Guldo. Vegeta grinned, looking back up to see Jeice staring down at his partner's corpse in shock.

"Burter…NO!" he shouted. He growled and glared at Vegeta. "You're dead!!!" With a quick power up, he held both his hands forward and unleashed a red energy blast that soared straight for Vegeta. The Prince of all Saiyans laughed out loud and slapped the blast away effortlessly.

"You'll have to do better then that rat!" he shouted back. Jeice yelled in a rage and charged at him, reaching the prince and beginning to send deadly attacks aimed primarily at his face. The hate he felt and the urge to smash up that cocky expression drove Jeice to the extreme. He used every means necessary to inflict as much pain as he could on Vegeta. The prince however was avoiding all the attacks, moving his head and body whenever he needed too. He avoided all of Jeice's attacks as if they were nothing. The fight was beginning to bore him now.

Pulling back, Jeice growled and held his hand out towards Vegeta's face. Just as he was charging up his attack, Vegeta grabbed his hand, twisted it and broke it. Before Jeice could feel that pain shoot through him, the prince leapt up and kneed him in the stomach, breaking his armor and shaking the organs inside him. Jeice coughed up saliva and blood, staggered and internally wounded. Then, Vegeta grabbed him by the hair and held him up, holding his free hand up to his scared, and blood leaking face. A blue ki blast appeared to form in his palm, a grin edged on his face. As they floated high above the planet, the prince chuckled at Jeice and shook him like a rag doll.

With that smirk in place, Vegeta shook his head. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Such a waste," Vegeta said. He then shrugged. "Oh who am I kidding? This was just a waste of _my_ time! So long wimp!" Then without warning, he sent a devastating, killer blast straight through Jeice's stomach. The blast incinerated his inner organs, as well as creating a nice, big hole. The blast lit up the skies, showing all what has been done. Piccolo just stared up at the skies, while Krillin stood in shock. Even Gohan was astonished at Vegeta's actions. He was still holding some of his old ways after all.

When the blast dissipated, Vegeta released Jeice's body, letting it fall a bit before he threw two fingers at it. The tips of his gloved hands flickered with a light. A second later, Jeice's body exploded into a cloud of white smoke, leaving no trace of him.

Now, with the death of Burter and Jeice, it left Captain Ginyu alone and on the field. Vegeta flew down after he was done and stood by Piccolo, arms crossed and a satisfied look on his face. Gohan walked forward, letting out a sigh.

"Well, I guess it's my turn," he exclaimed, stepping round Guldo's body and stopping just short of the crater. He stared over at Ginyu, seeing him unfold his arms and glare back hatefully. Gohan lowered his head a bit. "You know you can just give up. Maybe join our side. I have no inclination of wasting you. Don't make this hard on yourself…"

Captain Ginyu spat. "Pah! I don't need your help! I may not be as strong as you lot! But I can assure you, I will defeat you!"

Holding up his right hand, Captain Ginyu let out a mad chuckle. A purple, swirling ball of energy formed around his hand. His arm trembled and that smile continued to edge on his face. With a evil, booming laugh, the Captain suddenly struck himself in the chest, piercing armor, flesh and bone. With a sickened choke, he pulled his hand free, purple blood on his hand and leaking out of the hole in his chest. He panted, the energy going into that blow staggering him, even though his intentions were purely obvious. Gohan sighed, shaking his head.

"It's senseless. You don't have to do this…" Gohan said. Ginyu breathed like a wild animal, rough and agonized. He glared up at the young Saiyan.

"Who said…I wanted…to kill…myself?" he asked with an inflection added. "All I need…is your…POWER!" he roared. With a final laugh, he focused his energy round his inner soul and spread his arms and legs out, making sure he kept his eyes on the Saiyan child. Gohan blinked, watching Ginyu closely on what he was doing. Suddenly, there was a golden light and a bright aura that consumed the both of them, trapping them in suspended animation. Ginyu then grinned and let out a yell. "CHANGE!!!"

Suddenly, there was a flash of light, one that shocked Piccolo, Vegeta and Krillin. They had no idea what was happening, nor could they what events were taking place. For Ginyu and Gohan the scene was turning drastic. The atmosphere intensified more and more as the seconds passed. Ginyu felt his soul separate from his own, reflections and shadows intertwining. The process was going exactly as planned. Gohan however stood where he was, unmoved. It was some time later did the light show fade, and the process was completed. Piccolo, Krillin and Vegeta looked back, curious to see what had happened.

When they looked back, they saw that Captain Ginyu and Gohan were still standing in the same spots they were moments ago. Gohan still stood firmly, fists at his sides and legs shoulder width apart. Captain Ginyu still had his arms and legs spread out and was as still as ever. A small breeze blew between them, silence dawning. Then, after a few more seconds had passed, Ginyu's arms dropped to his sides. His legs buckled underneath him and he fell to his knees before falling forward, landing flat on his face.

Gohan sighed and turned around, walking back over to his friends. When he rejoined his group, they were staring down at him in surprise.

"Ugh…Gohan, are you okay?" Krillin asked.

"What happened kid?" Piccolo said, also voicing his concern. Gohan looked up at them, seeing them looking at him, concerned. Gohan turned to one face then another, before beginning to speak.

"He killed himself. I told him not to do use that technique, but he went with it anyway," Gohan answered. Vegeta raised an eyebrow at him.

"What technique?" he asked. Gohan turned to look up at him.

"Captain Ginyu was about to use a body switch technique. It's a highly dangerous form of soul transfer, involving two beings and two souls, both in a separate body. Ginyu wounded himself, assuming that if he was to switch bodies with me, he would be the stronger whereas I would be the wounded one. Unfortunately, he didn't realize that my soul was fused with my being and so would not separate. There are also other reasons to why the transfers wouldn't work, but that would be considered the main reason. In the end, his soul had no where to go and so destroyed itself. His original body is just a dead, empty corpse now," Gohan explained. Vegeta crossed his arms, whereas Piccolo and Krillin placed their fists on their hips.

"Well, the guy was a moron," Vegeta muttered.

Piccolo nodded in agreement. Krillin remained skeptical. Gohan just set aside the entire ordeal and went on focusing on the main task. But then, when the group of four sensed a strong ki nearby, they turned in its direction to see a familiar, spiky haired Saiyan standing on a ridge with his arms at his side and a very surprised look on his face.

"Guys…?"

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	12. Fight Frieza!

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Fight Frieza!_

"GOKU!" Krillin exclaimed happily at the sight of his old friend. "You're here! I can't believe it!"

Piccolo, Vegeta and Gohan were also staring up at Goku, but with more surprise then actual happiness. However, as a few seconds went by, Gohan's happiness bloomed into delight, and he finally realized how grateful he was to see his dad here. The older Saiyan floated down from the ridge, coming to land in front of the group where he walked some of the way over to them, hands on his hips.

"Yeah, I can't believe you guys are here either. Gee, what a small world," Goku said, tilting his head and smiling. Suddenly, his eyes caught onto the battlefield around him and he turned, beginning to scan the entire area. Blinking in surprise when he saw one dead corpse after another, he raised an eyebrow then turned back to his friends. He thumbed over at the bodies he had passed. "What happened here?"

Krillin shrugged. "Oh, we ran into a uhh…spot of trouble where Frieza called in his toughest soldiers to try and kill us because we're proving to be quite a nuisance," the monk replied. Goku blinked in surprise. More overly, he was quite impressed.

"Really. Wow, I guess they weren't really that strong," Goku exclaimed. Vegeta snorted and glared onto the horizon.

"Please. Those bakas didn't stand a chance against us. They were all weaklings," the prince retorted. Piccolo nodded in agreement. Although, he thought that a more appropriate choice of words would have been better in response to Goku's comment.

"Let's just say we have gotten much stronger since you last saw us Goku," the Namek stated, drawing the Saiyan's attention to him. "The Guru offered us his assistance. He unlocked some of our power and allowed us to go in peaceful search for the dragon balls. We've already managed to get two." The Namek finished, gesturing to the two, orange orbs with red stars sitting in the grass beside them. Goku stared down at them. He was amazed at how big they were.

"Wow…two already. Hang on!" Goku turned and glanced up at Piccolo. "You said Frieza's men right! King Kai told me that we should stay away from that guy. From what I heard, this Frieza character is pretty mean…" Vegeta muttered something about 'weakling' but all ears were on Goku and were too distant to catch the Saiyan Prince's comment.

"It's alright dad," Gohan butted in, catching his father's attention. "Frieza won't be causing us any trouble. If these guys were the strongest he could draw up, then surely we'll be able to beat him without a sweat. I'm already strong enough to take him head on right now!" the child stated, holding up his fist and allowing his ki to jump. Goku caught a hint of it and was certainly surprised at how much he had changed and strengthened.

"Whoa Gohan!" Goku exclaimed. "You've really gotten strong. My own son…wow!" the older Saiyan continued, kneeling in front of the child. Gohan took a glance at his father's ki, and noted that he had also gotten much stronger from last time. He was about the same strength as Vegeta now. "You know, I always said to myself that one day my son would grow up to be stronger then me. But I guess that day was a year or so ago…"

Gohan grinned and nodded. "Thanks dad…"

"Hey!" Vegeta shouted over at the pair, making Goku look up at him. "If you're all done with expressions, could we please get on with the search. Frieza is heading towards the Guru's place, which may just give us some time to gather all the dragon balls and make our wishes!"

Krillin blinked in surprise. "Huh? Oh, right! Where was that dragon ball we were looking for Gohan?" The young Saiyan smiled at his friend and then pointed towards a deserted village on the edge of the valley.

"It's in one of those houses…"

"I'll get it," Piccolo stated, walking forward before taking flight. Goku stood up, the rest of the group spreading out so they didn't bunch up.

While Piccolo was off to get a hold of the third dragon ball, Goku turned to Vegeta and placed his hands on his hips. He stared at the Saiyan Prince in thought, tilting his head towards him. Vegeta, sensing someone looking at him, turned to see the naïve martial artist staring at him, blinking in puzzlement. Easily annoyed, as well as not accustomed to having such attention, Vegeta growled at Goku.

"What is it, Kakarot?" Vegeta bellowed. Goku tilted his head to the other side then smiled.

"Gee Vegeta, so you're on our side now huh? That's something you don't see happening every day," Goku exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head. You had to admit, Vegeta's sudden decision to change sides was a really interesting turn in time. The prince however didn't want to be credited so much on this and just glowered at his supposed arch rival, even though his real arch nemesis now would have to be Frieza. Gohan however would have to be second, until Frieza was eliminated.

"Listen Kakarot, don't come off high and mighty about this, I'm still the same as before!" Vegeta yelled. Goku chuckled and flashed him the famous Son grin.

"Alright, I gotcha," Goku replied. Vegeta just grumbled and turned away, arms still crossed and a very annoyed expression in play.

A few more seconds later, as the group talked amongst themselves, Piccolo returned with the dragon ball. The Namek held it up to them, showing the accomplishment of getting at the third, mystical orb for the day. With that accomplished, the group gathered up the other two dragon balls before Gohan pulled out the scouter and began tracking the next set. What appeared on the radar, just several miles away were four dragon balls, and all of them nestled together nicely. They weren't on the move, and were certainly not surrounded by Frieza or his henchmen.

Sensing that the dragon balls were unguarded and that Frieza was a longer distance away and still moving, Gohan turned to his friends and nodded. "It's safe guys. Let's go get the other dragon balls and bring our friends back!"

The Z-fighters, now numbered to five, took flight, with Gohan in lead. They flew straight for Frieza's space ship, with a whole crate of dragon balls just ripe and waiting to be picked. With no need to worry about being tracked now, they allowed the use of their auras and shot off over the horizon. Their new speeds allowed them to cover more ground faster. While they were flying, Goku turned to Krillin and noticed how beat up he was. Offering his contribution to the group, he grabbed the brown bag tied at his waist and brought out a Senzu bean; he nodded over to his friend.

"Hey Krillin," he called. Krillin glanced over at him. Goku smiled and tossed the bean over to him, the monk catching it with ease. "Take it. It's a Senzu bean. It should help with those bruises!" the Saiyan exclaimed. Krillin grinned.

"Thanks Goku! Boy, this will sure fix me up!" Krillin exclaimed, putting it in his mouth and chewing it. Seconds after he swallowed it, the effects kicked in instantaneously. His skin healed and his energy returned to him. As a result of the quick repairs and tone ups, the monk felt slightly stronger at this point. He chuckled and clenched his fists tightly. "All right! Now that's more like it!" Goku chuckled.

"Well, it's good to see that you're still happy Krillin," Goku said. With much gratitude, the group continued the rest of the trip in silence.

Soon enough, the group reached Frieza's Space Ship. Vegeta was easily able to identify the ship, as its make, color and design was based upon the tyrant's own image. It suited the bastard pretty well. The group also noticed five Saiyan space pods lying in five evenly spaced craters not too far away from the ship, all of their hatches open. Diving straight down, the group of five landed in perfect fashion and, immediately after touching down, Gohan began double checking the dragon radar. He saw that the four dragon balls were somewhere around here. Walking forward, the group began exploring the area around the ship. It was all flat, and it shouldn't be too hard to find a bunch of large orbs the size of basketballs. Besides, they were all on the radar anyway.

Then, as Gohan was checking under the ship with Krillin, he heard the monk shout 'Bingo' and turned in his direction. He saw the monk standing by one of the landing support pads, looking underneath to see four dragon balls hidden. Setting the dragon ball he had down, he began rolling the four out one by one. Goku, Piccolo and Vegeta joined him, with Gohan pulling up along side to see Krillin hit the jack pot. The group was no less then delighted. Well…all except for Vegeta who was the exact opposite of cheerful.

"Great! Now we can summon the dragon and ask him to wish back our friends!" Krillin exclaimed.

Before anyone could make any comments, they suddenly picked up a ki signature on the wind and looked towards the sky on the horizon. There, they saw a small dot, a distant figure, drawing closer and closer. It wasn't traveling fast, but was sure making record timing in Namekian terms. Goku scowled, taking a stance.

"Is that Frieza?" he asked. Gohan chuckled and walked over.

"No dad. It's just Dende. And it appears he has some important news to tell us, for him to be exerting so much ki in order to fly here," the young Saiyan exclaimed.

Seconds passed as they watched the young Namekian fly down to them. Landing some ways away, Dende dashed over to the group, sweating a bit but looking quite cheerful. He grinned up at Gohan and the others. "Hey guys!"

"Hey Dende, what's happening?" Krillin asked. Dende's grin turned to a smile.

"Not much. Well…I see that you've got all seven dragon balls. Great job!" he exclaimed. Piccolo smiled. Even though he was more overly himself, there was still a part of him that belonged to Nail's inner being. Now he showed a more positive attitude towards Gohan and Dende.

"It wasn't easy, but we managed," Piccolo said. "Frieza's been giving us a tough time traveling. We had to fly around with lowered energy levels." Dende nodded, looking from one face to the other. He saw that they had a newcomer amongst them, but didn't concern himself much with Goku. The older Saiyan was quite surprised to see that they had already made friends here.

"Well, I doubt he will be troubling you for a while. He's heading over to Guru's as we speak. He realized that he needs a password to awaken the dragon, and so proceeded on to its creator, the Great Elder. Luckily the Guru gave me the password to give to you. So here I am!" Dende informed. Goku nodded. Now things were really starting to look up.

"Great!" he exclaimed. "Now we can summon the dragon and wish our friends back to life!" Before further exclamations could be made, Vegeta butted in.

"Hold up now!" the prince said loudly enough to disrupt their communications. "We should move away from the ship to a more secluded area. If these dragon balls have any long range effects, then Frieza would surely notice and would be hurrying back here to inspect. We don't want any unwanted interruptions," the prince continued. Krillin nodded.

"That's a pretty good idea. Nice Vegeta," the monk commented. Vegeta grunted and looked away. Gohan smiled and collected up two of the dragon balls.

"Alright then! Let's hurry this up," Gohan said, gesturing over to a small land mass in the distance. "That island over there should be enough. Come on…"

Seeing that they had very few options on where to make these wishes, the group gathered up all the balls then flew over to the island, Dende accompanying them. It was only a matter of time till Frieza reaches the Elder's house, so they have to make this as quickly as possible. Setting of the dragon balls on a grassy area, the group of five Z-fighters stepped back, allowing Dende to carry on with the spell casting.

The dragon balls glowed and shone, illuminating the area and making the scene seem more tense and edgy. But, as per usually routine, Dende proceed. Holding his hands above the magical orbs, the Namekian child took in a deep breath of air and then cast the password upon the seven balls. _"Parunga! Arise and Grant Our Wishes!!!"_ Dende yelled in Namekian, his voice echoing into the distance.

Suddenly, the skies started to blacken and clouds took form. They completely blocked out the suns of Namek, and left the group in perpetual darkness. The dragon balls shimmered momentarily, before exploding. Bursting with bright, golden light of life, a beam of what looked to be energy shot straight up into the air. The violently warping aura that surrounded the dragon balls made Piccolo, Krillin and Vegeta back off in surprise. Goku and Gohan just stood where they were, watching in amazement as the dragon arose from its resting place. Within moments, the golden beam formed and took shape, curling through the dark skies and enveloping everything within its reach in its form. Then, as coloration fell upon the golden, solid form of the dragon, Parunga revealed himself. With the body of a long snake that curled the area and stretched for miles, the dragon of Namek was summoned. Strangely, he looked a little different to earth's dragon. He had a top body that took form of sort of like a very muscular person. He also had a snake like face with glowing red eyes and horns sticking out of his arms, shoulders, back and head.

As soon as the dragon was awakened, he glared down at those who had summoned him, who were the Z-warriors and Dende. He grumbled a very monstrous gurgle and then began to speak. _**"I have come to grant you three wishes. Speak them now so that I may go!"**_ he boomed, his voice deep and mystical. Dende smiled and turned to the guys behind him.

"Well, shall we get started?" he asked. Gohan nodded and walked forward, taking to Dende's left. He patted the Namek child on the shoulder and nodded to him.

"I can take it from here Dende," the young Saiyan stated. Dende blinked.

"But…you need to say the wishes in Namekian in order for Parunga to grant them. He's not like earth's dragon," Dende replied. Gohan smirked.

"Apparently, you don't know me that well…" Gohan exclaimed. Dende, still a little confused and puzzled, nodded and backed away, allowing Gohan to take the floor. Looking up at the dragon, Gohan smiled and nodded.

"All right Parunga… **"For my first, we wish for the human fighter by the name of Yamcha to be brought back to life!**_"_ Gohan shouted in perfect Namekian. Goku, Vegeta, Krillin and Dende were definitely surprised. However, Piccolo wasn't. Gohan's mentor smiled and nodded to him, knowing that the child had a lot of tricks and surprises to show them.

The dragon nodded affirmatively. _**"It shall be done!"**_ With that, he looked up and granted the wish. His eyes glowed bright red and within seconds, the wish had been fulfilled. He then glanced down at Gohan again. _**"Now…speak your second wish!"**_

Gohan grinned and raised his right fist towards the dragon. **"For my second wish, we wish the human fighter known as Tien back to life!"** Gohan shouted again. Parunga nodded and proceeded with the task. Within moments, he had worked his magic and emerged successful once more. He looked back down at Gohan.

"_**Your wish has been granted. Now…speak your final wish!"**_

Suddenly, before Gohan could make that wish, he sensed an enormous ki appear out of nowhere and fly out from over the horizon. The Saiyan child, as well as the others around him looked up to see the pink, lizard like alien with horns known as Frieza fly straight up to the dragon and yell. "I WISH FOR IMMORTALITY!"

Gohan grinned. _'That's not going to work Frieza…not for you…'_ He turned back to the dragon and yelled in Namekian for the last time. **"We wish for the fighter known as Chouzu to be brought back to life!"** Parunga heard the final wish spoken and nodded. Without wasting any time, he granted it, eyes glowing red and his magic working away.

Within seconds, he was done. "_**Your wishes have been granted. I now bid thee farewell…"**_

In a split second, Parunga's form dematerialized back into golden energy and retreated back into the seven dragon balls. Then, with the combined seven glowing and floating up into the sky, Gohan and his friends watched the magnificent spectacle of the seven dragon balls breaking and shooting off to the far corners of the planet. This however came to a shock to Frieza, with the tyrant holding his hand out after them. The sky's color and light returned to normal…

"NOOOO!!!!" Frieza yelled. When he saw that the dragon balls had gone, the alien oppressor lowered his arms and glared down at the island beneath him. He saw the five Z-fighters glaring up at him in turn, all of them focusing their full attention on him. Dende had hid himself as soon as the dragon vanished, so that he was out of the way.

The tyrant scowled and floated down to the planet's surface. His feet touched earth just a short distance away from the group who had spread themselves out so they weren't bunched up. By the look on Frieza's face, he was trying to suppress some tenderized anger.

"You meddlesome trash," the tyrant began to speak in a surprisingly calm voice. "You have ruined my chances for immortality. For that, I will make you all pay…!" Vegeta snorted and stepped forward, full of confidence.

"Well, you'll have to transform then, Frieza," the prince stated, holding up a clenched fist. "Because killing us won't be so easy. I think the death of Zarbon, Dadoria and the entire Ginyu Force has shown you that!" Frieza growled, clenching his fists and teeth.

"I shall make you all suffer for your insolence!" Frieza bellowed. Taking a stance, he crossed his arms over his face before throwing his arms out. His ki suddenly took a massive jump. "I _will_ transform, and show you what horrors truly await you!!!"

With that, Frieza's painful transformation process began! The ground beneath their feet began to tremble violently and the clouds in the sky began to pick up speed in the wake of Frieza's rushing ki. Vegeta, Piccolo and Gohan just watched with serious expressions in play as Frieza withered and roared as his ki rose and power shot skywards. Goku and Krillin however were astounded at the amount of energy that was coming off of the tyrant. But this was just the tip of the iceberg. Frieza's transformation process took a dramatic turn when the armor he wore split, cracked and then exploded off of his body. This was immediately followed by a rapid increase in his size. His muscle span and mass increased, doubling and tripling to his original height. He now stood slightly taller then Piccolo. The planet trembled all the more, with Frieza's form becoming more and more defined. As the stage neared its end, Frieza bent over and slammed his right fist into the ground, forming a massive crater beneath him. Then, with a shuddering explosion of energy, as if a shock wave had just occurred, Frieza's transformation was complete. The maniacal fiend stood up to full height and grinned maliciously, eyes flashing dangerously.

"This is just the start monkey boy!" Frieza stated, teeth bearing. "Are you impressed so far?" Vegeta grunted and smirked.

"Not really," he retorted. "I can still bring you down! Now meet your maker!!!" Vegeta roared at the end, dropping into a stance and quickly powering up. His unlocked potential kicked in, followed by a massive output of blue energy that took the form of a violent, flame formulated aura. The ground beneath him split and shook just as much as the transformation Frieza went through. Then, without warning, he took off full pelt at Frieza.

The tyrant dropped into a stance just as Vegeta disappeared into super speed. Just then, his sense of fighting came over him and he was able to see through Vegeta's high speeds. The prince appeared in front of him, on course of striking at him. Frieza attacked first. Pivoting on the spot, he swung his tail out at his target like a whip. But Vegeta was ready fro this. He grabbed Frieza's tail and leapt over it. In so doing, he had a clear shot at his opponent. Using the momentum to his advantage, he sent his foot into Frieza's face. The blow was tremendous, staggering Frieza and shocking him at how strong Vegeta really was now.

Backing away, Frieza took to the air. Vegeta landed a second later. As soon as he saw Frieza take flight, he sprinted forward and pursued, shooting into the skies with his aura aflame. Frieza growled and pulled his right hand back, throwing it forward and unleashing a devastating energy blast. Vegeta easily avoided it and kept going, changing course and moving more in a swing motion. He hooked round Frieza's flank, before coming in and taking him. Frieza was ready to defend himself. Soon enough, the two were locked in a heated battle.

Flashing into super speed, the two fighters engaged. The fight took them to a whole new dimension of combat. Fists collided and kicks were launched, both fighters staggering each other. Those who were on the ground and watching the fight taking place had their eyes trailing the skies to try and catch sight of them. It was a good thing their eyes were usually faster then their body movements, because tracking Vegeta and Frieza wasn't difficult. They could see shock waves and explosions occurring all over the sky, and whenever the fighters dropped altitude, their fight would carry on along the lands and valleys. They saw Frieza and Vegeta fly at each other, lock in a death battle with fists and kicks flying before they eventually kicked off of each other and flew off in different directions. Frieza would often take pot shots at Vegeta and fire off a barrage of ki blasts. Vegeta was prepared and was able to avoid them. He would then charge up his own attack and throw it at Frieza as counter measures. Frieza would occasionally run into a couple of them and suffer two degree burns, but was alright. Then, the whole process of charging, fighting and breaking would continue again. Gohan followed the fighters with ease, studying their fighting styles and techniques. Spotting their combinations and use of speed was also noted.

Vegeta spun through the air, coming down back down to the planet and landing hard on his own two feet. He then spun around, knowing he was being chased by Frieza. He was correct. Just some miles ahead of him, an island suddenly split and sunk into the ocean, a trail of breaking water waves suddenly emerging and heading straight for him at break neck speeds. Then, phasing out of super speed and appearing at the spearhead of the water break, Frieza emerged, fury evident on his face, which was now bruised pretty bad. Vegeta was also bruised, those wounds and injuries visible on his face and body.

"YOU'RE DEAD MONKEY!" Frieza roared, pulling back his left hand and then throwing it under him in a scoop motion. A pink formation of energy formed in his palm and arm, as if he were gathering energy from a different source. But it was far different then that. "DEATH WAVE!!!" he yelled again, unleashing his attack. He threw his arm up and sideways, throwing his powerful attack at his opponent. Vegeta growled and leapt straight up, skywards. The energy wave Frieza launched at him tore at the island the Z-warriors were standing on, forcing them to make evasive maneuvers as the blast finally exploded at the end of its track. The final explosion sent dust, debris and rubble everywhere.

Vegeta countered Frieza's attack and charged at him, fist cranked back. Frieza spotted Vegeta's charge from the skies above and changed course, pulling up and flying at him in kind. The two of them were at full strength now, and both yelling at the tops of their lungs'. Within seconds they reached each other, with Vegeta's fist coming straight at Frieza. The tyrant pulled back and avoided it, Vegeta passing over slightly before the Saiyan spun through the air and sent a roundhouse kick at his opponent. Frieza, already having avoided the punch, ducked and shifted underneath Vegeta's kick. The prince then dropped and began throwing combinations of punches and kicks at the lizard like alien. Frieza dodged the first three before being forced to block the next barrage. After taking on a hook and catching it between his arms, Vegeta then jabbed down, striking him below the ribcage. Frieza chocked at the vital point blow before being hammered in the chin and then across the face. This caused him to release Vegeta's arm. The prince then leapt at him and began hammering blows away into his body.

Frieza could do nothing during this beating, and just waited for his opponent to slip up. He eventually did, allowing the tyrant to slip out. Leaping back through the air, Frieza pointed two fingers directly at Vegeta, firing off a narrow beam of energy at him. Vegeta yelled and shifted, spinning around and throwing a yellow ball of energy at Frieza. The tyrant slapped the attack away and countered with another energy blast. The blast tore through the air and straight for Vegeta. The prince, in kind, cranked back his leg and kicked right at the spear end of the blast. He sent it rocketing into the sky. Then, with the relinquishment of energy and the failure of his attack, Frieza decided to tackle him with his fists and attacked. He charged at Vegeta. The prince did as well, and they once again met in a violent clash.

The group of Z-warriors who were watching the fight had landed some clicks away on a larger land mass, watching as Vegeta and Frieza battled it out in the skies high above. Goku and Krillin were gaping in awe, whereas Piccolo and Gohan were completely at ease. They watched Vegeta hammer Frieza, before having the endurance to take several blows himself before countering with just as much strength and ferocity. It was incredible.

Frieza leapt over a kick and then countered with his own roundhouse attack. Vegeta blocked it and knocked it away before advancing suddenly. Frieza gave him an evil grin and his eyes glowed purple. Two narrow beams shot out of his eyes, directly for Vegeta. The prince had little time to react and just powered up. The weak barrier formed by this deflected most of the two beams' forces, but a minority struck Vegeta directly in the chest. The beams, instead of penetrating, exploded into a shower of sparks, sending Vegeta plummeting straight for the landmass the Z-fighters were watching him on.

Within seconds, Vegeta was grounded, his body scrapping a deep trench into before stopping several meters after impact. Scarred, bruised and suffering from ground-friction burns, Vegeta staggered back to his feet. With a quick recount of what had just happened, the Prince of all Saiyans powered up once more, his aura growing to twice its original size as he powered up to his maximum. Just as he did so, Frieza landed atop of a rocky plateau not too far from Vegeta's position. The prince took up a firm stance and glared his opponent down with narrowed eyes and clenched teeth.

Frieza scowled. "Well…I see that you have made some changes, Vegeta!" He then grinned. "Perhaps I should make this more exciting!"

At that moment, Frieza clenched his fists and teeth tightly, taking a more of a powering up stance. With that in play, he began to transform again. No aura surrounded him, however the planet began to rumble again. Bending forward, Frieza felt the throbbing pain of morphing shooting through his entire body, and with it, his ki began to sky rocket. Vegeta was shocked now, sensing the massive rise in the monster's power. Goku and Krillin were shocked as well. Piccolo felt a bit surprised at Frieza's sudden energy level increase, whereas Gohan remained in his constant state of ease. He couldn't help but be impressed at the tyrant's display of power. All the while, Frieza began to change. Shrinking about a foot or two, the head around Frieza's cranium suddenly stretched, forming a banana shape that hooked downwards, stopping just above his waist line. This was followed up by the growth of white horns around the new shape made by his head, as well as spines growing all along his back. His exoskeleton shoulders also grew, with purple outer exo-plates also growing on his upper body. His muscle span became more overly defined, and his tail kept its previous state. To finish the transformation, his face morphed into that of a snake's, similar to Zarbon's monster state. Then, after the dramatic changes had been made to his physical state, his transformation ended with a blast.

With a loud, roar of pain and anger, the transformed Frieza grinned and glared down at Vegeta, arms at his sides and back hunched in an awkward position. "Now you shall see Vegeta," Frieza shouted in a funny, fused like voice. It combined a deep, straggled voice with a high pitched voice. It sounded quite demented and horror struck. "What it is like to feel true pain!"

Vegeta was shocked, unable to move, for the feel of Frieza's power level had him rooted…paralyzed. Frieza let out a cackle before taking flight. With speeds far greater then Vegeta could react, the mutated-alien lizard shot straight down to Vegeta and sent a upper cut into his stomach. The prince let out a straggled yell, before being forced off his feet and being pushed by his opponent. The new, powered up Frieza stopped just short of a cliff side and sent Vegeta into it with his fist squishing his torso against the rock. Vegeta was punched into a man sized hole, perfect fit for him. With this, his aura died out and more bruises and scars appeared all over his body. Frieza then took the liberty of mercilessly sending punches into Vegeta's stomach, pushing him deeper into the cliff and internally damaging him. Within moments, the prince lost consciousness.

Frieza grinned and leapt back so that he was about 100 feet away from his opponent. He then grinned and held his hand up towards Vegeta. A pink energy ball formed in his palm, crackling and sizzling brightly.

"You're life in this world is up, monkey boy!" Frieza hissed. But then, before the tyrant could launch his final, devastating, killer-move, he was rammed across the face by a powerful knee. The attack sent him flying to the side, but was not enough to put any real pain in him, just a bruise.

Wheeling through the air at a controlled flight pattern, Frieza then landed on flat ground, glaring over at the unknown attacker. Who he saw was the black, spiky haired fighter in the orange and blue gi. The former hero of earth took a fighting stance and glared at the tyrant with anger.

"I won't let you take another life, Frieza!" Goku yelled. The third form alien grinned and took an awkward stance of his own. He chuckled in amusement at the baldness of this newcomer.

"Oh please," the alien spat. "Do you really think you'll be a match for me with that strength? That knee was child's play!" he hissed venomously. Goku gritted his teeth and strengthened his stance.

"We'll see who's playing after this!" Goku yelled, balling his fists and getting down lower, balancing himself. "KAIOKEN TIMES 50!!!"

An energy filled explosion occurred. A hurricane like formation appeared above Goku in the form of clouds and, as a result of this massive power boost, a red aura burst around him. It flickered violently, even more then Vegeta's aura. The energy ripped and tore at the ground, shaking the island on which they stood. Frieza furrowed his brow at this energy development, caught a little bit by surprise at the energy display.

"So…" he whispered. "You're even stronger then Vegeta I see. This should be interesting!"

With a growl and an enraged cry, Goku launched himself at Frieza, moving at ultra high speeds towards his opponent. The tyrant dropped into a stance just as Goku's progressing had taken him to within meters of him. Frieza leapt off the ground and began hovering backwards, just as Goku sent a deadly punch aimed for his face. His fist slashed across through the air, barely missing its target. The older Saiyan then moved forward some more, sending a powerful roundhouse kick aimed for Frieza's mid-section. The tyrant backed off faster, avoiding that too. Goku pulled back and let out a frustrated growl. Then, with a fury unleashed, he flew straight for Frieza again.

Both fighters vanished from sight, disappearing into super speed. In the direction Goku was traveling, the now barely visible warriors began battling it out. A trail of sonic explosions moved across the land before turning skywards and breaking apart. Now both fighters were zipping at high speeds through the skies, intent on beating the other fighter in this battle to the death. While all this destruction was tearing above them, Gohan and Krillin rushed over to where Vegeta had been engraved into the cliff. They pulled him out, hanging his arms over their shoulders and propping him up. The Saiyan Prince was still unconscious. This made Krillin chuckle.

"Look at the mighty warrior now!" the monk exclaimed. "Just like back on earth when you beat him. I can't believe he can sleep at a time like this!" Gohan chuckled and nodded in agreement.

"Yeah," he blankly replied. The pair of them then turned their attention skywards, in search of Goku and Frieza.

It didn't take them long to be found. The two fighters eventually fazed into perspective again. Materializing, they flew straight at each other again; the connection of their elbows creating a massive shock wave that ripped the skies with their power. Goku didn't waste time in defending and began hammering away at Frieza, sending punches and all sorts of kicks into every open spot he could find. His hurried attacks allowed him to gain the upper hand. He put so much pressure on Frieza that the tyrant found himself backed up into a corner. But then, just as Goku was about to send the finish punch, he suddenly had his wrist gripped and pulled towards his opponent. The large fighter drew his fist back then rammed his elbow across Goku's face. The Saiyan was tossed about like a rag doll as he was ruthlessly pummeled before being sent away with a powerful knee forward up kick.

Flying through the air, Goku came to a spinning stop. He halted in mid air, hands pulled back and red aura flaring wildly. Frieza gasped when a blue energy ball formed in his opponent's palms.

"KA-ME-HA-ME-HAAAAAAAAAA!!!" Goku bellowed, sending his hands forward and unleashing his overcharged attack. The enormous blast shot straight at Frieza, roaring loudly with the speed and strength it packed. Frieza yelled and backed away, the blast coming in too hot.

When it was thought that the blast was going to strike, Frieza spun out of the way, watching it fly past. The wave struck a distant island, burying itself and burning away before a 100 megaton explosion occurred. A blue ball of fire and energy consumed the island and burned it raw. It vanished within the moment, leaving nothing but a bubbling water area with smoke escaping into the air. Frieza was astounded.

Just as he was about to turn around, Goku rushed at him. He shot at his opponent swiftly, sending an elbow straight across the tyrant's face. Frieza was staggered. He plummeted several stories before flipping back into submissions. Stabilizing himself, he powered up and shot skywards up at the red, aura glowing Goku. With his momentum and acceleration propelling him, Frieza rammed Goku with a head butt, staggering him this time. Goku's aura vanished, the blow causing him to back away through the air with a bruised, bleeding forehead.

Frieza grinned and pulled back his right hand, raising his two fingers. He did the same with his left hand but raised it towards Goku. Then, in a split second, pink orbs of energy formed around his finger tips. With a hiss-hushed laugh, the tyrant let out a yell and began throwing left, right, left, right shots at Goku. With each combo, he fired off quick, bullet sized energy pops at the older Saiyan, hitting him as if using a pair of Peacemakers. Goku screamed in agony, but was cut short every second as he was repeatedly battered by Frieza's relentless ki attacks. His clothes ripped and his skin bled every time he was hit with a blast. It tore at his limbs and body parts, pounding him hard. He found himself badly bruised up, struck in vital points that staggered him and knocked senseless. Frieza cackled, having all the fun in the world as he continued on with his assault.

The blasts continued to bombard Goku relentlessly, with the speed of the assault increasing dramatically. Then, just as it appeared the Saiyan would have to suffer more of this torture, a certain Namek shot out of the blue and kicked Frieza to the side, making the tyrant cease his attacks and concentrate on the newcomer.

Stopping just a few meters away, Frieza glared up at Piccolo. He saw that the green warrior was wearing the dark purple gi with strange shoes and blue belts, as well as wrist bands. However, he wasn't wearing his usual white turban and cape anymore. This meant trouble.

Piccolo glared. "Alright! I've waited long enough!" he growled. "Now it's my turn!"

Frieza growled in anger and backed away. "You're not too bright if you think you can bring me down Namek! Because I've got several tricks up my sleeves, some you'll never even know! But watch this!!!"

With a roar of anger, a blue aura suddenly exploded around Frieza. His energy, once stable and barricaded by the limit of his third form, suddenly burst its banks, his energy flowing freely. It grew and grew so much, that it practically dwarfed Piccolo and Goku. The Namek, and the remarkably still conscious Saiyan backed away through the air, staring with shock and awe as Frieza was once again forced to transform. Gohan and Krillin on the ground were also staring up at the mighty tyrant. Vegeta, having regained consciousness not too long ago was also staring, and was looking nervous. All the while, Frieza's body began to glow and morph, bolts of electricity shooting off in all directions, like a minature lightning storm. His voice broke the winds, filling the silence of Namek with the pains of his transformation. Slowly, the planet began to shake, with waves and high winds beginning to pick up. Krillin was gazing in shock, trembling with fear at the amount of energy being displayed. Gohan however wasn't at all shaken. He just glared seriously, his senses allowing him to tap into the tyrant's true power depths. It had its limits.

Just as it seemed the land they stood upon was about to collapse, Frieza suddenly let out one last, ear splinting roar before a bellowing aura shot out of him in the form of a energy explosion. With all restraints cut, his power radiated off of him freely. Seconds later, the rumbling stopped and the light died, revealing a thin layer of mist floating in the sky where Frieza once was. Goku and Piccolo stared; as did everyone else, wondering what kind of form Frieza had taken on now. Well, it was revealed seconds later what the tyrant looked.

As soon as the mist lifted, a smaller version of the tyrant now stood, looking exactly the same size as his first form. Only this time, he looked much more defined then ever. He had pale white skin with purple shoulder, exo-plates, a purple plate for a torso, a purple cranium area, purple fore arm plates and purple shin regions. His tail was longer then his body as well, and didn't look really that strong. For a puny fighter now, it was easy to underestimate him. However the energy output he possessed was so great, it made the Z-warriors think twice. Everyone but Gohan was worried.

Frieza chuckled with that new, evened expression of his. He looked very calm now, and all his wounds had cleared up. A whole new tyrant was born, but that didn't come to his mind. He raised is right hand and clenched it into a fist. His ki jumped slightly. "Now you shall bear witness to my final, ultimate form…a fate certainly worse then death!" Frieza said. His voice was now toned out better then his third form voice. It may still be a bit high pitched and rough, but it suited him greatly. "Once I'm through with you, you will be begging me to kill you!"

Piccolo and Goku backed away even more. Frieza chuckled and lowered his arm down to his side. With a grin and a malicious growl, Frieza's eyes then flickered and glowed brightly, before two, narrow beams shot out and straight for Piccolo. The Namek gasped and, just before he could move, the beams struck him in the chest, penetrating his flesh and emerging out his back. The blast sent him falling back, blood flying out of his mouth and eyes blanking. Even though he could still see, the shock of the attack sent him reeling into a semi-conscious state, the pain being so intense, it wasn't something he could register properly. The light in Frieza's eyes vanished and a smirk donned his face.

"Like I said…death is a certainty…"

Goku gasped and watched Piccolo fell, the Namek plummeting like a rock. Seconds later, he crashed, forming a small crater beneath his lifeless form. With his arms and legs sprayed out, the Namek trembled where he lay. The dust that had risen settled, revealing his present state. A pool or purple blood formed underneath him, with the two punctures in his chest also leaking blood. Gohan and Krillin were shocked as well. Vegeta, being the most steady of the group, was just glaring, blood leaking from his bottom lip.

"No!" Goku shouted in disbelief. "PICCOLO!"

"PICCOLO!" Gohan cried, releasing his side of Vegeta and rushing over to his downed friend. When he reached the crater, he picked the Namek up by the head, putting his hand under him and lifting him off the ground slightly. Piccolo stared up at him with a pained expression, his eyes and mouth twitching where blood ran out. It was amazing he was still alive after that shot.

"G-Gohan…kid…" he managed to choke out. Gohan, looking all the more worried, just told Piccolo to be quiet. Even though he was relieved the Namek was still alive, he was still worried about his life force wandering off on its own.

"It's okay, just lie back…" Gohan whispered. His expression then angered and he glared up into the skies where Goku and Frieza floated. Goku was still staring down at the ground in shock, with Frieza chuckling evilly from where he floated.

"It looks like I have this in the bag!" Frieza exclaimed to himself. Goku wheeled around and glared at him. Balling his fists, he growled through bared teeth and then let loose his anger.

"You monster! How could you!" Goku cried. Frieza smirked, not showing the slightest hint of remorse.

"And now…" Frieza hissed. "It's your turn!"

In a flash of light, Frieza vanished and then suddenly appeared in front of Goku, sending a powerful punch straight across his face. The blow was paralyzing in transaction, with the force knocking Goku senseless, as well as flying. The Saiyan plummeted faster then Piccolo had. He crashed into a mountain side, turning one side into rubble before crashing to the earth himself, covered by a pile of rock and debris. Goku groaned in agony, eyes shut tightly with blood leaking out of his mouth. He withered on the spot, bruised, battered and bleeding more then ever. Now it seemed that Frieza really was unstoppable now.

Speaking of which, Frieza had already made his progression down to his grounded opponent, using this opportunity to his advantage. Landing just beside the Saiyan from earth, the tyrant grinned evilly before raising his foot and pressing it down on Goku's chest. The newly powered up Frieza then began crushing the life out of him, grinding his foot into his chest. Goku let out agonized groans and chokes, unable to breathe. He looked up, pained and on the verge of slipping into unconsciousness. Frieza grinned all the more and pressed down harder, making Goku yelp and cry out in pain once more. This urged Frieza to continue with his torture.

"So…had enough?" Frieza asked. Goku bit down another yell and withered all the more, trembling under the tyrant's three toed foot.

"N-NO!!!" the Saiyan bellowed. Frieza shrugged.

"Oh well…more fun for me!" he exclaimed, applying more pressure, causing Goku to cry out all the more. "Now…you…will…die! Just…like…millions of…others…before you!" Frieza said between adding more pressure to each grind. Goku felt as though his ribs were going to break, just like the time his brother had him pinned. He couldn't believe it was happening to him again. But that wasn't what struck him, it was Frieza's words that did. The Saiyan glared up at the tyrant, seeing him chuckling in amusement.

"Yet another monkey to add to my kill list," the alien exclaimed. "Such a waste… although…monkey boys are always fun to throw into the slaughter house…"

That was all that was needed to hit on home. Goku's eyes widened at this, the pain he felt disappearing all together. The anger that welled within him now was spiraling out of control, transforming into something he felt and knew so very well.

Pure power…

Reaching up with both hands, he grabbed Frieza's ankle, watching the tyrant react in surprise. Suddenly, a golden aura sprung up around Goku, his eyes showing anger and fury burning deep inside. Sparks of blue shot out from him, and the ground at their feet began to tremble. Gohan and Krillin, who were watching from their positions, were surprised when they felt Goku's ki level suddenly sky rocket.

Goku gritted his teeth, and applied pressure onto Frieza's ankle. The tyrant yelped at this, feeling a substantial amount of pain come of this. The Saiyan being crushed under foot growled, his aura growing fiercer with his hair beginning to flow with the winds.

"That's it Frieza!" Goku roared! "I…will make you pay…for all the innocent lives you have taken! Every last one of them! You…will repent…for your sins…at my HANDS!" Goku yelled twisting Frieza's foot and throwing him off. The tyrant spun through the air and landed, leaping back and taking a stance.

Looking back, he suddenly saw Goku get to his feet and, with a bellowing roar, powered up with a mighty blast of wind. The orange gi top he wore, or what remained of it, ripped clean from his body, leaving him in orange gi pants and his blue, under gi top. The golden aura shot up and funneled like a tornado, drawing in an incredible amount of debris and dust. It whirled around him, his energy level soaring. Then, as his yell reached its loudest and the scene turned to its most climactic point, Goku's hair stood and stiffened, flashing a bright, luminous gold. This was followed up by a sudden define in his muscle span and the change of his eye colour from black to teal. The scream ended, and Goku glared back down at his opponent, teeth gritted and fists clenched.

Frieza gasped and stepped back, eyes wide. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was like something he saw out of a dream once. A golden warrior, a legend foretold. What he had heard years ago, what he had tried to suppress for all his life, has suddenly sprung back, hitting him clean in the face.

"I-Impossible," he chocked, backing away all the more. "H-He's a Super Saiyan!"

Gohan, after feeling the incredible rise in his father's ki, as well as bearing witness to his transformation, smiled and nodded. "A Super Saiyan…" Vegeta grinned as well.

"Super Saiyan…the legend is true…"

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	13. Like Father, Like Son

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Like Father, Like Son_

It was like something had just jumped up and bit them. The most astounding miracle had just happened right in front of them. Out of the blue, when things were starting to look bleak for the Z-warriors, Goku managed to achieve the unachievable and accomplish something that hasn't been experienced or witness in over a thousand years. He was a Super Saiyan. The tell tale signs of the warping, golden aura, the teal colored eyes and the incredible ki level told all. Frieza knew this, Gohan knew this and Vegeta knew this especially. What they saw was incredible!

Goku glared straight at Frieza, watching the tyrant back away slowly, eyes still widened and trembling from head to foot. As much as he didn't want to believe it, the legend was true. But what are the odds that something at this magnitude could be achieved by some unknown fighter he had never seen before. Come to think of it, he has seen someone familiar. Years ago before he destroyed Planet Vegeta, there was that one, the one that opposed him. Seconds afterwards, he could have sworn he was gone. It was as if he had arisen from the grave to take his revenge. Surely it was to happen now…

"No…NO…NO…NOOOO!!!" Frieza yelled. "This can't be happening! This can't be true! Saiyans transform into apes! They only can! This is completely different to anything I have ever seen! NOOOO!!!"

Goku scowled, teeth bared once more. The stress to hold this form in place may have been overwhelming. But the anger he felt steadied his control, allowing it to flow naturally into him.

"Your evil deeds are like a noose around your neck!" the Saiyan yelled, aura increasing in ferocity, blowing dust and sending hails of wind everywhere. Frieza backed away even more at the death glare he was sent. Goku growled. "You will die at my hands for every innocent life you have taken!"

Frieza growled and then took a stand. He clenched his teeth towards his golden haired opponent, biting back all fear and holding his ground. His fists trembled, as well as the rest of his body. The rest he experienced were waves of fear, frustration and anger. "I will not be tormented by some stupid legend! You Saiyan monkeys are nothing to me! NOTHING!"

Goku glared, his anger lowering a bit. "We'll see," he replied, taking a fighting stance. His aura ripped at the ground, tearing more earth from its place. Frieza took a step back, knowing that what was to come would come out soon.

But, just as Goku was taking his stance, someone else jumped into the fray. Landing beside him and turning towards Frieza, the sword bearing Gohan took his stance and powered up. His blue aura sprung out at full ferocity, clothes waving about and his ki reaching extraordinary heights as well. Goku looked down at his son in surprise, seeing his son standing beside him with a look of fighting seriousness edged on his features.

"Gohan?! What are you doing?!" Goku asked. Gohan just continued to glare at Frieza.

"I'm tired of hanging back and just watching, dad!" Gohan replied, his aura bearing the same strength and force as Goku's. "I want to fight too…"

Goku stared at him with a father's anger. "No son!" he protested. "You're not strong enough…just stay back…"

Gohan smirked and stared up at him. "Do you seriously believe that?" Goku was taken aback by this. Well, that surely shut him up. Though he seriously wanted to take Frieza on by himself, after sensing his son's ki, he had no inclination to further press the matter. To his surprise, Gohan was showing extreme power as well. He was about as strong as him!

Gohan glared back over at Frieza, seeing the tyrant looking between the two with fear, uncertainty and confusion. The young Saiyan flinched. "I'm just as strong as you now dad, and you know it. I've watched Frieza fight, and now I know how he thinks. You think you'll be able to take Frieza on by yourself, but you're seriously outclassed. You're still not strong enough to take him down all on your own. He's still got 95 percent of his form still to power up. He's only in the infancy state of his final form. Believe me…I know…"

His father blinked. Although he had his doubts about what his son was saying, he couldn't help but believe him on the parts, saying that Frieza is yet to grow in strength. Well, after everything that has happened so far, he refused to let full doubt over come him. Plus, the energy Gohan began radiating off continued to grow to an extraordinary level. Now they were both equal in power. Goku smiled and nodded.

"I believe you son," he replied. "Alright…let's take him together…"

Then, standing side by side, they took their symbolic stances. Goku took his dragon-fist stance, with his left foot forward and right foot back, spread and held for balance. His left hand, clawed, was held up, whereas his right fist was pulled back to his side. Gohan took his soaring-dragon-strike stance. Left hand held out, fingers straightened in a chop position, palm facing down. His right fist was held up to his cheek and his legs spread out like Goku's, left leg out and right leg held back and bent for support. The two of them retained those stances and waited for Frieza to make his move. The tyrant fisted his hands and growled at them.

"You think you have me beat?!" he yelled. "Well…guess again Saiyans, because I'm just getting started!!!"

Then, bringing his fists up and arching his back, Frieza suddenly threw himself down and bent over sharply. With those few simple movements, his power skyrocketed as he pumped all his energy and strength into an inner burst. A blue aura exploded around him, his muscles bulging incredibly, shoulders growing and veins throbbing. Every muscle on his body pumped up, tail and all. However, his fingers and toes remained the same. Seconds later, at the end of this quick power up, he was up to full strength. Straightening himself, Frieza grinned and pointed at the pair who was glowing in their own auras.

"There…100 percent full strength!" Frieza exclaimed, slamming his right fist into his chest. "Now we shall see who is the mightiest and strongest in the universe!"

Goku and Gohan took readouts of Frieza's ki. They sensed that he had reached an incredible magnitude of strength. Even here Gohan had his doubts about the two of them being able to bring the tyrant down. Krillin, who was still holding Vegeta up, was gaping at the scene in utter shock, as was Vegeta. Both of them felt the true extent of Frieza's power, so did Piccolo, who was still lying in the crater, propped up on his elbows and trembling violently. They all stared, unable to believe what they felt.

The time of reckoning was at hand.

With a mighty roar, Frieza shot at his opponents, dust flying and aura flaring. Goku and Gohan yelled and leapt to the sides, breaking and flying off in different directions. Frieza shot past their original position and spun around, glaring in their direction. After a few more meters of flying straight, the tyrant suddenly swung himself around and propelled himself straight for the pair of them who had rejoined each other in the skies above the planet. Frieza was now back on his unstoppable rampage. Goku and Gohan prepared themselves.

Both striking out with elbows, they locked fists with the mighty alien. The contact of their elbows against Frieza's sent a shockwave rippling through the skies, shaking the planet from the force of impact. Then, they followed up with two simultaneous knees. Frieza threw his left knee at them, making contact with Goku's while using his tail to swing around and block Gohan's. Then they spun again, Gohan sending a roundhouse, back kick at Frieza's head while Gohan sent a back-hammer blow. Frieza blocked both blows with both hands, catching Gohan's leg in a parry while palming at Goku's wrist. Frustration overcoming their combined efforts to over power Frieza, the two Saiyans began lashing out at Frieza at full ferocity. Frieza defended and attacked in kind, forcing the pair of them into a rapid variation of blocks, parries, punches, kicks, knees, checks and so on. The fight was taken to a whole new level.

Zapping into super speed, the two fighters trailed through the skies faster then the eye could see. Seconds after they vanished, sonic booms, energy filled explosions and magnitude high blasts of wind erupted in the skies. Clouds parted and space whenever the force passed through them, with all three fighters making each blow count. Sometimes the explosions would occur repeatedly whenever a hard combination of quick blows was made and would strike a defense or a vital point. Individual sonic explosions would usually be a single blow landed and connecting. Then flashes of light would usually be the three or two of them flying at high speeds through the air while locked in a brawl. Engagement was occasionally broken to give the fighters space or time for a pursuit or a breather. But seconds later, they would return to the fray and continue on with the fight.

Flashing out of super speed, Goku flew through the air at his opponent. Pulling his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around, he spun like a ball, before suddenly opening up and throwing an axe kick through the air. The blow collided with something hard. Seconds later, Frieza materialized on the spot, arm held up and a stressed look written plainly on his face. With that, he threw Goku off and went in for a punch. His fist landed with a 'X' block made by Goku's arms. Them, following up with this, he honed in on his assault and began ramming punches, hooks and kicks into the Saiyan's defense. Goku backed away through the air, gritting his teeth to try and keep his guard from crumbling.

Just as Frieza had him against the ropes, he was struck from behind by a kick, landing in the back of his neck. Gohan appeared there, floating in that straight kick action. Frieza stumbled forward, falling into Goku's grapple. The Super Saiyan warrior placed his hands on the back of Frieza's head and repeatedly rammed it into his knee, which drove in, in sync with his pulls. He then brought Frieza's face up and rammed a elbow across him. Frieza flew back, bleeding at the nose and lip and his face all bruised. Before he could recover he was struck from behind by another fist, landing right where his spine was supposed to be. Frieza was thrown forward. The blows may have been devastating at this point, but he quickly recovered. Spinning around, he saw Gohan and Goku flying at him from both sides, making him swivel his head to calculate who would strike first.

Through quick think, Frieza attacked Gohan. The Saiyan child came in with a quick punch, kick, and elbow combination of 6 attacks before suddenly having his wrist grabbed. Pulled towards Frieza, the tyrant spun him round and threw him at Goku. The two warriors collided with each other and were sent plummeting after a brief flight. Frieza pursued, fists clenched and aura flaring.

Goku and Gohan growled and looked up, pulling away from each other and curling up into balls. They spun through the air before opening up and landing on both feet on solid ground. With simultaneous yells, the two fighters threw both their hands out and unleashed two ki, golden ki blasts. The attacks ripped through the skies and shot straight for their target. Frieza saw the blasts and grinned, holding his own hands back and charging up a counter strike. Then, with counter measures in play, the tyrant let out a yell and threw his hands forward at the two blasts. Frieza threw a series of purple energy disks, the deadly attacks striking the blasts and slicing them into pieces. The energy of Goku and Gohan's attacks dissipated, leaving the barrage of disks flying straight down for them. They gasped in shock, seeing their attacks fail.

Reacting quickly they leapt out of the way, the disks striking the island they once stood on repeatedly. Seconds later, the disks exploded after borrowing into the earth, destroying the island in a mighty megaton explosion that sent smoke and dust hurling into the sky.

Goku and Gohan had just managed to pull out of the blast radius unscathed. Realizing they had left it way behind, they stopped and looked down to watch the rubble of the island sink into the ocean. This proved to be their big mistake as Frieza suddenly appeared behind them. He lashed out at Goku striking him in the gut, lifting him off his own accord before the tyrant sent him away with a hook to the face. Goku went flying away, attracting Gohan's attention to their attacker. Just as Frieza made his way to Gohan, the young Saiyan pulled his right hand back and threw it at Frieza; a golden ki blast escaped his palm, shooting at his target. Frieza fazed out, Gohan's blast missing completely. Lowering his arm, Gohan went into the defensive just as Frieza appeared out of thin air in front of him. Chopping at Gohan, the tyrant attempted to knock him out cold, but only hand his wrist and arm grabbed by the child. The two growled as they found themselves locked in that position, struggling to over power the other.

Frieza, being the stronger and faster at this point, continued the attack. He rammed his head into Gohan's forehead; bruising him badly and making him fall back. Then, grabbing him by the collar of his gi top, Frieza pulled him up and began ramming his free fist all over the child's face and body. Quickly, he pummeled the Saiyan kid before releasing him and kicking him down into the ocean. Gohan crashed into the sea, creating a depth charge splash. The coldness of the ocean enveloped him, making him wither as he tried to get himself out of this mess. Frieza grinned. Throwing his right hand up, the tyrant charged up a powerful, pink energy ball. The attack crackled and sizzled growing to about ten times the size of a regular basket ball. With the amount of energy packed into it, the alien threw the attack straight into the water. It followed Gohan's directed path, with the young Saiyan, still underwater, finding himself directly in the attack's course.

Sensing it before seeing it, Gohan swam out of the way, using his energy to propel him to the side. He watched the pink energy attack roar by before it struck the seabed below and borrowing deep into the planet. After it had reached magma depth, Gohan felt the water warm and bubble. This made him grit his teeth and scowl in discomfort to this new situation. The planet shook and trembled, as if a massive earthquake was occurring.

Frieza watched the ocean bubble and ripple beneath him, a grin plastered on his face. However, before he could continue to enjoy his energy rain, he was hammered across the face by a regenerated Goku. The Super Saiyan, having recovered from his punishing blows, was now back, and was furious. Frieza quickly recovered and then shot himself at the elder Saiyan. Both their auras flared as they flew at each other, locking in another heated battle. Fists and kicks flashed, both fighters lashing mercilessly out at their opponent. Frieza was backing down ever so slowly, primarily staying on the defensive. Goku was constantly trying to keep up with his opponent, not letting up. If he did, he would lose control of his Super Saiyan form. Biting and holding onto this power proved to be enough of a challenge as it was.

Sending a straight kick up at Frieza's head, he tried to knock him back. He did so, but only forced him to move, his kick making no contact or damage whatsoever. After which, he flew straight down at Frieza and began throwing left-right punches of all kinds. He used to power of his body to launch his attacks. But despite his strength and speed, he was unable to land a finger on Frieza. After continuous dodges and sky shifted, Frieza flipped forward and flung his tail down at Goku in a spin-lash strike. Goku, unable to guard himself from the surprise attack, got hit full on in the face and head, the blow sending him plummeting just like Gohan. Down, down, down he went, straight towards the ocean.

But not allowing himself to feel the slightest bit of weakness as yet, Goku kicked back into action. His flight technique activated and he pulled up just before he could hit the cold water's surface. After pulling back up a few meters, Goku glared up at Frieza. He saw the tyrant smirking down at him, cracking his knuckles and chuckling sinisterly to himself.

"Oh I'm going to enjoy this!" With a growl of effort, Frieza pulled back his right hand and powered up a strong energy ball, a black orb forming with pink bolts of electricity radiating off of it. Then, with a yell, Frieza threw it down, straight at Goku. The Super Saiyan was shocked, and moved out of the way, the energy attack shooting into the ocean where it would continue on, unchallenged.

"DAMN!" Goku shouted. _"That attack's on route for the planet's core! If it reaches it, the entire planet is going to blow! This is not good!"_

Frieza laughed loudly, his voice filling the air with a cold chill. "Yes! That blast will annihilate this planet, killing all of you! With this planet gone, there will be no one out there who can stop me! NO ONE!!!"

He was going to eat his words. Suddenly, just as it seemed that the planet was doomed, the ocean began the bubble, ripples beginning to form just some distance of Goku. The Super Saiyan stared at the area, surprised. Frieza, who had been laughing and watching the ocean below, also noticed the bubbling, and the strange luminosity that shone through. He raised an eyebrow, his laughing ceasing. If he knew any better, he was certain his attack didn't go there. Whatever was happening was soon answered when the very same attack Frieza fired suddenly shot out of the ocean and flew straight at him. The tyrant yelled and moved out of the way, watching the equally powered attack fly straight up, past the atmosphere and deep into space where it exploded, away from the planet.

Frieza stared after the attack before turning his attention back down towards the ocean. When he did, in the exact same area where the energy ball escaped, another something shot out. This time, it wasn't an attack, but Gohan. The Saiyan child was soaked to the skin and was glaring up at the tyrant. Goku was relieved his son was alright, especially since he saved the planet from total destruction.

Gohan shook his head, getting rid of the excess water like a dog. He then stared up at Frieza, remaining silent. Then, a burst of blue energy exploded around him in the form of an aura. It warped around him fiercely, his energy level rising to its top again. As soon as he had charged up the amount of energy he wanted, he flew straight at Frieza, again. In a split second, he reached his opponent and, with one, fluent movement, he sent his left fist straight across the tyrant's face. Frieza was struck full force from the blow and staggered back with a dark bruise and a bleeding lip. After regaining his senses, Frieza growled and glared back, coming back with his own attack. He elbowed Gohan across the face, still being the faster. Gohan was knocked senseless as well, but recovered just as quickly. After which he flew at Frieza and began attacking him relentlessly. Fists flashed again, with his aura still warping around him. Frieza backed away, nervously avoiding powerful, ki enhanced punches.

Then, leaping away to avoid a kick, Frieza flew backwards before stopping, dropped in a defensive stance. With a growl, he held a fist back and began to fly at his opponent. "Why you little…" But then, he saw a flash of light and a stinging sensation streak across his right cheek. Frieza was taken aback, with the pain being so tremendous, it forced him back, right eye shut and teeth gritted. He held back a yell as he backed away slowly, completely caught off guard.

Glaring back to where he last saw the young Saiyan, it came to a sort of surprise when he saw the young Saiyan standing their, sword drawn and glaring. Reaching up with a trembling hand, Frieza ran it across his cheek. When he looked down at his fingers, he gasped when he saw a fresh stain of blood. He also felt a large gash sliced across his face, making him cringe. Balling his fists, Frieza glared up at the young Saiyan again. Fury raged in his eyes, burning with anger.

"You…YOU!" he roared, shaking with rage. But then, he suddenly calmed and smirked. "Well…as it turns out…two can play at that game!!!" With a quick power up, a purple aura sprung up around him. Then, crossing his arms across his face, threw his hands to his sides in chop motions. It was with that clean move did purple energy-blades spring up in his hands, wrists and arms below the elbow. The blades extended past his fingers so that they flickered like small electron knives. Frieza grinned up at Gohan, his aura dying but the blades remaining.

"We'll see who's the superior swordsman, brat! En Guard!" Frieza yelled.

With two simultaneous explosions of power, the two warriors flew at each other, Goku watching from afar in astonishment. In a split second, the two of them locked blades, engaging in a now furious sword fight. Frieza's sent an elbow at Gohan, his energy blade coming in contact with the young Saiyan's sword. Gohan was also attacking Frieza, but found it to be blocked. Their attacks locked with a loud clang and burst of energy output, sending sparks everywhere. Gohan and Frieza gritted teeth, trying in an almost desperate attempt to over power the other. Then, as fortune should have it, Gohan once this grapple, forcing Frieza down and overcoming him. After which, he stumbled the tyrant by pushing off sharply and moving forward, ramming him with an elbow to the head.

The blow sent Frieza floating back, head bending backwards and arms, though slackened, still glowing with the deadly energy. Gohan continued, seeing weak spots all over the alien's body. Spinning around after the elbow, he sent a roundhouse, backwards side kick aimed directly at Frieza's body, slamming hard and sending the alien flying. Gohan then returned to a regular stance before flying straight for Frieza, who was just recovering.

Shaking his head, Frieza glared back at Gohan. He saw him approaching, sword raised and ready to attack. His eyes caught onto the razor sharp blade and, in response, Frieza countered Gohan's charge. He turned the own child's assault against him. Charging up his energy blades, Frieza then pulled his right hand back and, as if throwing a baseball, threw his arm forward and unleashed a pink energy disk. The attack flew at Gohan, who caught it in his sights and immediately stopped. Just as the disk came into range, Gohan held up his sword and slashed out at it, blocking it with one quick slice, knocking it out of the game. Frieza, angered that the attack failed, let our an enraged roar and, with both his hands began throwing his hands straight out towards the child, unleashing barrages of pink energy disks. Gohan retained his serious expression and concentration, his blade spinning in his grip in whirlwind fashion. He slashed out at the approaching disks. Maneuvering grips and using techniques with such speed it was impossible to follow his every move. The disks came and were immediately cut down, rather then them cutting down their target. It was like one of Gohan's training sessions. He cut and slashed at the approaching energy attacks, using all his focus and concentration. For now, he was doing well.

Seeing that his attacks were having no effect, Frieza became more enraged. This was the last straw for him. Throwing both hands forward, he let out one last roar and began firing off a whole mass of barrages. The lightning fast disks cut crisply through the air, flying at Gohan and threatening to cut him down. Just like before, Gohan met the assault with an unyielding defense, his blade slicing through the air, with double the speed to deflect and destroy all the incoming energy disks. But this defense wasn't strong enough. After blocking a barely narrowed disk that exploded against his blade, sending Gohan back a bit, four more disks sliced at his right gi pant's leg, his right lower sleeve, upper sleeve and then his arm. Gohan yelped, staggering back as disks continued flying past him. Frieza stopped, seeing that his assault had struck on home. He chuckled evilly.

"Well! The batter scored a four point strike out!" the tyrant exclaimed, amused. Then with a yell of rage and power, he flew straight at Gohan again, energy blades crackling and sizzling. Gohan took a stand, ready for the incoming assault. Just like throwing punches and chop attacks, Frieza slashed out at him. Ever slash sounded like regular swords swinging, only with an energy ring to it. Gohan parried and avoided every attack, his blade deflecting all of the force with each contact. He backed away, continuously avoiding the attacks. When Frieza came in with a lightning fast, right-left-left-left-right combo, Gohan fazed out and appeared on Frieza's right, sword raised above his head and the blade's tip pointing skywards. Frieza yelled in shocked and backed away just as Gohan brought the sword down on him. Barely missing his opponent, Gohan pivoted and flew towards the alien, changing grip and bringing his sword upwards in a quick, swift, slice attack.

Gohan followed through with his attacks, intent on hitting his opponent. It was when he came in with a fast attack, did he change tactics. He leapt over his opponent, shocking Frieza greatly. Just as he was soaring up and over the tyrant, he attacked. His blade ran over Frieza's chest, and then Gohan flipped through the air and aimed his attack at the alien's tail. His blade sliced the tip cleanly off, one third exactly. Frieza let out a cry of agony, staggering forwards with his tail withering, waving madly and bleeding where it was cut. Not all that was left was an extra long stub for a tail. Seconds later, the bleeding stopped and clotted, leaving him maimed.

After staggering forward some more, Frieza wheeled around and growled, veins throbbing on his forehead. "Alright rat! You're going down!!!" he roared. Charging full let at Gohan, the tyrant lashed out at him with power slashes and chops. Gohan held up his sword, his blade blocking them. After blocking a right slash, a left slash, a right chop and then a right slash, Gohan pulled back his sword and sent an attack up at Frieza. His blade collided with a left slash attack, the sharp end impacting hard and rebounding. It was with that precise movement to the wrist point did the dangerous energy suddenly dissipate off of Frieza. Sparks flew, with Frieza's arm being thrown back. Gohan then spun round and sent one last devastating blow for Frieza's other arm. Aiming directly at the wrist again, his blade connected and then bounced off like before, the purple energy exploding and sending sparks everywhere.

Frieza leapt back, avoiding another cross slash from the Saiyan child. With that settled, Gohan spun the sword in his grip before sheathing it. He then took a stance, glaring hard at his opponent who was now repositioning himself into a threatening stance. The tyrant gritted his teeth and glared with hard anger.

"That does it!!!" The tyrant threw his right hand out at the child, unleashing a blast of invisible energy. Gohan was staggered easily. That moment of guard break allowed Frieza too charge at his opponent and strike him with a powerful punch.

The tremendous blow to the face sent Gohan flying straight for the land mass Krillin and the others stood. Incidentally, the Saiyan child, crashed landed into a mountain, his form disappearing under tons of rock and rubble. Seconds later, all that was left standing was a pile of boulders, with Gohan lying unconscious underneath all those mountain remains.

Frieza panted heavily, blood seeping out of the not so deep cut across his chest. After seeing Gohan get buried under the mountain remains and see that he didn't get out, the tyrant laughed loudly, eyes flaring.

"Oh yes…this is too much!" Frieza exclaimed. "One Saiyan brat gone! The universe is a better place!" Just as he finished that exclamation, he suddenly felt a heavy fist strike across his face and cheek. The blow shook the sky and shocked him, sending him flying to the side. The punch came from none other then Goku, the Super Saiyan father now infuriated with the tyrant for harming his son.

Frieza backed away, rubbing his cheek. Tasting blood, he spat to the side, smiling at the valiant Super Saiyan who floated where he was, dropped in that firm fighting stance. The tyrant grinned.

"That was very unwise Mr. Super Saiyan," Frieza stated, scowling. "Well…I guess I should start cleaning up the mess around here, it appears I still have some dust bunnies lying around." Goku gritted his teeth, trembling. Even though he was at full Super Saiyan strength and his aura was warping around him, he felt that Frieza was still the stronger. The alien scowled tighter. "It's time for me to be rid of you…"

* * *

_**Deep within the depths of rubble…**_

Unable to bear witness to the destruction and horrors taking place beyond his confinement, the young Saiyan child buried by boulders and rocks found himself pinned in a world of darkness. Trembling from head to toe, badly battered, bruised, scarred and bleeding, the strong child opened his eyes. They were half-lidded his strength barely keeping him conscious. Blood leaked down from his forehead, and his right arm was more stuffed then ever, bruised all over and bleeding from his muscular shoulder. Trying to get back up, Gohan quickly gave up and lay uncomfortably on the jagged surface. Balling his fists, he whimpered and opened his eyes again; looking into some dark corner of the pile he lay under. Eyes and mouth twitching and trembling, Gohan looked up. His hopes fell faster then he did when he was struck down. It was over.

"I…can't…" Gohan whispered. He shut his eyes, tears falling down his cheeks. "I…can't…beat him! That monster is…unstoppable! I've failed Krillin…I've failed Vegeta…I've failed Piccolo and my father! I…I failed everyone! I'm…not…strong enough…"

He shook all the more, feeling the planet rumble underneath him. Repeated shock waves came over him, and he realized that it must be Frieza and his father fighting outside. The tremors and the tremendous power he felt, it was all there. His father…

Gohan shook and extended his senses outwards towards the battle. He could sense Frieza's evil energy soaring, while his father…it was barely touching that point. His Super Saiyan powers, though incredible as they were, were not enough to bring the tyrant down. He was falling as bad as he was…falling…drowning…unable to come up for air. And he wasn't there to help him. Gohan growled, feeling the pulses repeatedly flood over him like waves. He moved his head, tears still streaming from his eyes, mixing with blood streams seeping out from the corner of his mouth. The stench of death was coming…it was there…

When it felt as though another earthquake had hit, Gohan's eyes flew open, the tears that were once there, vanishing. "NO!"

"_I've worked too hard to give up now! What I…what we've strove so hard to achieve…it…it will not slip out of our grip! Never! Frieza…that monster…that fiend has lived for too long now! His time has come… to feel the pains he has inflicted upon others! If he lives from today, he will continue to ravage and destroy the entire universe! He will torture others for his own pleasure and won't give a damn about whatever or whoever he's slaughtering! I…will…not…give…UUUUUUUUPPP!!!!"_

Fisting his hands so tightly that he almost cut his palms, Gohan felt his energy return to him. As he opened up all doors and untied all his binds, his power soared, skyrocketing so high and so fast that it threatened to come out all at once. It did. His blue aura exploded around him, his muscles tightening and bulging. Slowly, ever so slowly, his aura turned gold and the earth beneath and around him began burning away under its sheer ferocity. As his energy rose and soared, his eyes suddenly flashed teal, bolts of golden electricity shooting outwards and around it. The currents burned across all rocky, hard surfaces, burning it away just as his aura had done. Then, his hair and damaged clothes began waving in the fierce winds produced by his warping energy. Debris began to float off the ground just like him, as if gravity had just vanished. It was close…it was so close…

* * *

_**Back outside…**_

_**Just beyond the destroyed mountain…**_

Frieza sent a powerful kick across Goku's face, sending him flying the rest of the way down to Namek. The Super Saiyan crashed, plowing his body along the ground face first before stopping about a few yards away from where he made impact. Now, face down in the dirt, the weakened Saiyan trembled. With shaking hands, he pushed himself up, coughing and choking. Shaking his head, he opened his eyes and looked up, one eye half-lidded. He was so battered and bruised now it looked as if he had a couple broken bones to add to his other damages.

"G-Guys I'm sorry…" Goku mumbled. "I…can't…beat Frieza. He's way too…strong…"

Suddenly, as he was pushing himself up, he was pushed back down. The white, three toed foot of the mighty Frieza pressed the older Saiyan into the ground, pinning him and preventing movement. The tyrant chuckled and ground his foot into the Saiyan's arch, making Goku groan in agony. His Super Saiyan strength held back most of the pain, allowing him to endure more. But then, after a few more pressurized grinds, his hair suddenly turned black again and his once teal eyes changed back as well. His muscles relaxed as he subconsciously released his hold on his Super Saiyan state.

Frieza laughed. "Well…that's one legend gone…huh!?"

The tyrant suddenly looked to the right, seeing beams of bright, golden light shooting out of the cracks and crevasses of the pile of rubble in the distance. The remains of the mountain shook and trembled, a miniature earthquake erupting beneath their feet. Frieza blinked, watching the area beyond his reach with widened eyes. Goku, who felt Frieza take off some of the pressure, looked in the direction the tyrant was, one eye opening and teeth gritting. It was from his position he could hear the rumbling and sense a familiar ki growing, changing and strengthening. When he took note of the ki signature of the person, he immediately realized who it was and grinned.

"Gohan…"

Frieza lifted his foot free as he backed away, seeing a massive aura consume the rubble and expand. As the earthquake grew more ferocious, Frieza backed off even more, shocked at what he was seeing. Then, all at once, the rubble seemed to part and fall away, tumbling and rolling away so that the area was flattened. When all the boulders were moved, a shadowed figure within the powerful aura floated into view, debris and smaller boulders rising with him. Taking a closer look, Frieza identified the unknown warrior to be the 'brat' he had knocked into the mountain. Only this time…he was different…way different now!

Piccolo, Krillin, Vegeta and Dende, who had rejoined the gang, were staring in shock. They could hardly believe it was Gohan. Not only was he alive, but his ki level had just shot through the roof, three times, even five times stronger then he was before. But it wasn't just his ki level that astounded them, it was the transformation he had undertaken.

Floating in that fierce pillar of golden energy, the young Saiyan had his head dipped over, shadowed by his waving bangs of hair. His clothes waved in the winds, his energy blowing upwards with its continuous pulsing and power output. To accompany the aura was a lightning storm of golden bolts of electricity. The incredible display of strength and power was only enhanced by the darkening of the sky and the rumbling earthquakes. Then, as if time had called, the young Saiyan looked up. Here, you could see his once black, orb eyes now teal and illuminated by his energy, and his black, spiky hair, now glowing a brilliant gold. He was completely lit up, displaying an incredible amount of power to all who was watching.

Vegeta was in disbelief. His body shook as it was supported by Krillin, the pain being swept away and replaced by numbness. This was the very reaction he had to Gohan's awesome transformation. "The…the brat…h-he's a…a…a Super Saiyan!"

Frieza's mouth hung agape as he backed away, trembling in fear. His red eyes were open so wide, they looked like they were going to pop out. Not only did they reflect his fear, but they also reflected the image of the young Super Saiyan he was staring at right now.

"No…NO! Not another one!" Frieza cried, backing away even more. "This can't be happening! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!!!" Gohan heard the tyrant's cry and scowled.

"_Oh believe me Frieza!"_ Gohan replied in a deeper, more mature and mysterious voice. _"It's happening…"_

There was the sound of an explosion, the massive pillar of golden energy dissipating, leaving Gohan shining in his own, pure gold aura. After a massive shock wave and a outward burst of power, the young Saiyan flew across the island and straight at Frieza. His flight path ripped up the ground, sending debris and dust flying. Frieza was so paralyzed with fear, he couldn't react well enough. Well, even if he was concentrating at his fullest, he still wouldn't be able to do anything. Gohan had increased so much in speed, strength and skill that it was impossible to outrun or escape him now. Gohan flew up then pulled up as he reached Frieza, right hand held forward and left fist curled back. Then, with little or no effort, Gohan sent a devastating punch straight up into Frieza's face. The blow struck him in the chin, sending him skywards at speeds that had to be phenomenal.

With a brief power up, Gohan pursued, his aura intensifying. He shot after the tyrant, spiraling through the air. When he reached his stricken opponent, he grabbed Frieza by the neck then his foot and, moving him up, drove his knee straight into his back. The damage was great, and the pain was unbearable. Frieza screamed in agony, just before he was jack hammered back down towards the planet. He fell faster then every other time he had downed Goku or Gohan. Like a stray meteor, he fell. But, still conscious enough to know where he was going, he recovered as best he could and kicked his flight technique into action. He pulled up, his aura flaring as he flew up to a higher altitude. He watched the ground shrink away, leaving the place he was supposed to crash behind. Even after those few punishing blows, he was already bleeding and more bruised then ever.

Just as he was flying away at ultra-high speeds, Gohan suddenly appeared behind him, catching Frieza by surprise. The tyrant turned around, only to be the palm of the young Saiyan pointed at his face. There was a blinding flash of light, followed by an explosion. Frieza was sent flying into the distance, the onlookers on the ground watching with all their concentration. Now the tides had turned.

Gohan pursued, aura still flaring. Frieza groaned and looked down the length of his body, watching the Super Saiyan child fly right at him with fury burning in his eyes, even though his expression was calm and serious. Not wanting to give up now, Frieza spun through the air and repositioned himself; preparing for an attack and moving to defensive. Gohan didn't let them stop him. Both of them still flying at incredible speeds, Gohan attacked. Crippling his opponent with an invisible ki wave he threw just within meters of him, he sent Frieza falling in an unknown direction, because the world around them had blurred out. Then, flying after him, Gohan reared his right foot back far and, with a powerful thrust, sent the kick straight into Frieza's gut, his shin digging in deep. Frieza felt his organs fail him and tremble from the blow. With the groan that escaped his gaping mouth, blood spewed out as he vomited. Some of it splattered over Gohan's face, while the rest fell, just like Frieza.

Powering up again, Gohan shot at Frieza as the tyrant fell. Letting out a yell, causing his aura to grow fiercer, Gohan rammed a deadly right punch across his opponent's face, then his chest, then his stomach a couple of times, and then his face again. The following attacks inflicted so much pain and damage on Frieza, it was a miracle he was still conscious. Then, after a moment of drifting, Gohan flew forward one last time and sent a roundhouse kick across Frieza's side. The tyrant flew for about 300 meters before managing to stop and float above the island. The skies continued to darken, filling with lightning and the planet crumbled beneath them. The fight was growing more intense, with Gohan gaining the upper hand.

The young Saiyan glared, while Frieza glared back. Purple blood seeped out of the alien's mouth, with several open cuts also spilling blood. He was bruised and battered all over, he was completely outclassed. But not wanting to give up, the tyrant glared and gritted his teeth, biting down hard to stop himself from losing it.

"You think you have won! Think again brat! If I should go to hell, I'm taking you with me!" the tyrant roared. Throwing both hands up, two purple disks appeared above each palm. They buzzed and sizzled, catching Gohan's attention and drawing his sights to them. Frieza chuckled. "I'll slice you into millions of pieces, and then let you burn as I destroy this planet!"

Gohan hardened his scowl, eyes narrowing. _"So be it Frieza…"_

Frieza prepared to launch them, grinning wildly. Gohan quickly positioned himself, his hand reaching up and grabbing his sword. The blade shone as it was drawn, grinding smoothly and making that ever cool slice sound. When it was drawn, he took a light-sword stance. His arm raised towards Frieza, two finger pointing while he drew his sword back with his right hand, the tip of the blade pointing in the same direction towards Frieza, His stance widened, legs balanced and ready to launch. Frieza was also ready. With a loud yell he threw the right disk straight at Gohan, the attack ripping through the air, straight towards the young Saiyan. Gohan reacted. He flew straight forward, aura flaring wildly. He flew straight towards the disk, as if wanting to collide with it.

Just as the disk was within reach, he pulled up a bit and flew over it, moving anti-clockwise around it as if an airplane performing a daring stunt. He continued flying on, the tip of the sword's blade now held back while his left hand was held forwards. His flight speed increased. Frieza threw the other disk at him. This time the attack maneuvered through the air instead of traveling in a straight line. Frieza managed to curve it, guiding it straight for Gohan. The Super Saiyan child avoided it, just like before. Now with no more obstacles to over come, he continued on, glaring straight at Frieza.

The tyrant growled and reared his right arm back, left hand held forward. As Gohan closed in, he readied to strike. But Gohan was closing the gap between them way too quickly.

"WHY YOU BRA…" he was silenced. There was the sound of a loud, slice and a gust of wind. It was as if a cold breeze just cut him cold, straight at the waist. Frieza was chocked silent as Gohan passed right by him to his right, sword now pointed forwards. Seconds later, the child spun and halted himself, dropped in a finishing stance. His sword dropped to his side with his arms, blade still shimmering.

Just a second after Gohan had stopped, a light escaped the line around Frieza's waist. A moment later, that line opened up and he split in two. Shocked and winded, the two halves of Frieza fell to the planet. The sight shocked all who were watching, whereas Frieza was beyond shocked.

"I…can't…believe it…" Frieza muttered, his two halves plummeting before hitting solid ground. At the sound of the thud above the sounds of thunder and lightning strikes, Gohan sighed and twirled his sword in his hand. Then, in one cool movement, he sheathed it, allowing it to click into place before he turned to glare down at Frieza…or his two halves.

After spotting him, Gohan floated down to the island, landing beside the body with the Z-gang standing behind him. Vegeta was still supported by Krillin, and Piccolo was now back on his feet, supporting Goku and Dende's help. They were all staring in shock, holding their breath and waiting, watching to see what would happen next.

Gohan continued to glare, seeing the top half of Frieza tremble and shake. The once powerful tyrant was now reduced to this, a fallen, maimed warrior. The Super Saiyan child softened his glare, breathing in deeply then letting it out. Lightning struck around them and the seas roughened. It was as if the planet was dying now, just like Frieza.

"You should have realized Frieza…" Gohan began, still in his Super Saiyan state but his aura out. He stood normally, watching Frieza wither. "You should have known that the pains you caused others would one day come back and hit you. Now you are the one who's suffering. I never wanted this to happen, but you forced me too. I had no other choice…"

Frieza coughed and choke, gasping for air. His energy was almost completely exhausted. He was barely alive, hanging onto that thread of life, desperately clawing away from death. Gohan sighed and turned around, turning his back on him. He began walking back to his friends, relaxed, yet sorrow filled. "I'm tired now. I'm going home…"

Goku smiled at his son as he approached. Seeing what had just happened…everything that had just happened, the older Saiyan felt proud. Though his son had gotten back at Frieza for everything he has done, he still let him live. This proved how much of a merciful person Gohan was. He admitted he didn't want to cause such pain, but it was for Frieza's own good. It was the only way he would learn. Piccolo and Krillin was impressed too, but Vegeta would rather see Frieza fry. But the thought of how Gohan spared his life back on earth meant something more to him, so he looked the other way.

As Krillin watched his friend walk towards them, he suddenly noticed Frieza push himself up by his right hand behind the walking boy. The tyrant, still alive and strong enough to muster up a hidden storage of energy, raised a trembling, left hand towards the child. Aiming his index finger, keeping it as accurate as possible, the weakened Frieza prepared to unleash a final, desperate attack. Growling and groaning in pain through gritted teeth, the tyrant sent his energy into his finger.

Sensing a disturbance, Gohan stopped, eyes still glaring ahead of him. Krillin gasped when he saw what Frieza was going to attempt and shouted to his friend. "GOHAN! WATCH OUT! FRIEZA…!"

Frieza grinned. But just as he was about to launch his final, death beam, Gohan spun around and pointed his right hand at Frieza, fingers extended outwards and forward a bit. There was a flash of light, and a wave of wind. Frieza's eyes widened in shock! Suddenly, his left arm exploded just below the elbow, hand and all, purple and red blood splattering everywhere, and pieces of that body part joining it. The tyrant screamed in pain, curling up and gripping his stump of an arm. He withered and cried, the waves of pain shooting through him. Krillin relaxed, whereas the other guys were surprised. They were relieved Gohan noticed.

Just as Gohan was lowering his arm, they felt a shock wave ring out around them, shaking the planet and catching everyone's attention. The group looked around, eyes drawn to the skies, as well as the horizons and area around them. The seas were pounding against the shores, islands were collapsing and lightning tore through the skies. Spouts of lava also began shooting up, filling the sky with burning ash and cinders. It was like a version of hell had just sprung up on Namek.

"What's…happening!" Piccolo growled.

Krillin looked around the skies nervously. "I…don't…know…"

Gohan growled and turned to the others. "I know," he called, catching their attention. "The core of the planet is destroyed. Frieza's attack penetrated the planet's crust and struck the core, disintegrating it. Without the centre of gravity to hold it down, it's created an unstable atmosphere. The magnetic field is shutting down, and now the planet is imploding, tearing itself apart in an effort to stabilize itself. But without an inner core source, it's unable to recover. Soon the entire planet will explode!" Goku blinked, everyone else looking as shocked as he was.

"B-But I thought you stopped Frieza's attack from hitting the core! I saw you kick it into space, Gohan!" Goku yelled. Gohan gritted his teeth and rushed over to the group, leaving Frieza to wither and rot.

"Yeah, the second one. The first one intended for me continued on. Now the planet is doomed…"

Vegeta growled. "Darn that rat…you should kill him now!" he yelled, forgetting about sparing him. "It's killed or be killed!"

Gohan sighed and stared up into the trembling sky. The sapphire-crystal heart of his necklace shone, his eyes glittering and his tail, which had been wrapped around his waist for most of the time, waved and wavered. The lights of the dying planet flashed around them, filling the sky with death and a perfect vision of Armageddon.

"_Life and death come and go; like marionettes dancing on a table,"_ Gohan mumbled. _"Once the string is cut…they easily collapse…"_

Piccolo turned to Gohan, sweating nervously as the ground shook even more. "Hey, no time to be philosophical now, we're in the middle of a crises here!"

Just as the group was about to be consumed by the sea, they all vanished from sight. A flash of white, bright lights enveloped them, leaving no trace of their presence behind. Then, as if they never moved, the group found themselves in a new place. Gasping, they all looked around, blinking in surprise. Gohan and everyone else spread themselves out, their eyes now staring up into clear blue skies filled with white, fluffy clouds. When they looked back down, they found themselves in a wide open, hilly, grassy valley, surrounded by trees, a border of mountain ranges, forests, and a winding river that cut through the fields. Everyone was surprised…speechless actually.

After searching a bit more, Gohan turned his eyes towards the West, In that direction, he saw a dome like house in the distance, across a wide, sparkling river. The familiar tree and the make up of the small residence with the clothes line out back made Gohan smile, teal eyes wavering. His tail waved happily.

Vegeta, Goku, Piccolo, Krillin and Dende did more searching to the South, seeing a whole group of Namekians standing not too far away, also looking around, befuddled. Joining the group was Bulma, who looked as though she had been hiding under a table from the shock waves of earthquakes. When she felt nothing, she opened her eyes and started gawking at her new surroundings. The sudden change was unexpected.

Vegeta turned to Gohan and growled. "What are you smiling about?! Where are we?!"

Gohan chuckled and turned around. "We're home…" he whispered happily. Goku, catching onto this looked in the direction Gohan once was. When he saw the house, he chuckled in amusement and nodded. He was so stupid.

"Oh yeah…we're in Mount Paoz! Gee…what luck…"

"Not luck, just good timing, and with a little help from Shenron," came a new voice. The group turned in some other direction. It was a little bit right of the house, but when they did turn to be greeted by the newcomer, they saw that he was not alone.

The one that had spoken was a dark green, old Namek wearing white a blue robes, holding a wooden, tall cane made of sacred oak and bearing a red fighting sign and wearing a white sash. The cane supported him, keeping him on his toes. The other person to be joining him was Mr. Popo, his right hand man and loyal servant. Accompanying them was Chi-Chi, Yamcha, Tien, Chouzu, Puar, Oolong, the Ox-King and Master Roshi. The group was smiling at them, with the old Namek just staring.

"Welcome home warriors…" the Namekian spoke. Piccolo sighed and rolled his eyes. Crossing his arms, he looked towards the mountains in the distance. How he wished he could be somewhere else.

"Oh great…relatives…" he muttered. The old Namek was obviously Kami. And as usual, Piccolo wasn't pleased to see him.

The gang standing behind Kami rushed forward, all excited and happy to see their valiant hero's home. Tien, Yamcha and Chouzu flocked around Krillin and Goku, welcoming them home. However, the three, newly wished back warriors weren't too pleased to see Vegeta with them. They kept their distance, even though they were hinted that the prince was on their side now. Piccolo was approached by Kami, the two of them engaging in a quiet conversation that only lasted a few seconds before Piccolo walked off. Dende, as well as the other Namekians joined the group, several of the Namekian Fighters that had been spared helping to carry the Guru. Kami then engaged in conversation with the Guru, both of them getting to know each other and see what had happened. Master Roshi, Oolong and Puar flanked the group, meeting new faces but then finally joining Goku. This left Gohan alone with his mother and grand father. He was immediately pulled into a hug by a very delighted mother, her embracement lasting for a couple of minutes before she pulled away and kept him at arms length, hands on his shoulders.

"Gohan…my baby!" she exclaimed, beads of tears edging at the corners of her eyes. "Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere!" she asked, all the worried but not as much as she should be. Gohan smiled and nodded.

"I'm fine mom," he exclaimed, tail waving behind him. Chi-Chi nodded.

"Oh…I'm so relieved. OH KAMI!!!" she cried, even though she was aware that the guardian of earth was nearby. Kami responded to this by staring, but when he realized it was just a reaction, he turned back to the Guru. Chi-Chi had screamed for a good reason. She finally noticed Gohan's chance. She ran her hand through his hair. "GOHAN! What did you do to your hair! It's…its blond! Is it dyed or something!"

Gohan chuckled and shook his head. "Don't worry mom, it's just the transformation to Super Saiyan," he replied. Chi-Chi blinked, obviously confused.

"Ahh…What Super?" she queried. Gohan shook his head.

"Long story…" he then leapt at his mother and hugged her tightly. He made sure not to hug her too much, otherwise he might crush her. Chi-Chi, recovering from her surprise, hugged him back. The Ox-King smiled and patted his grandson on the shoulder, happy to see that they were united again. "I missed you mom…"

"I missed you too sweetie," Chi-Chi cried. It's been a year, of course she missed him. After a moment's embrace, she pulled away and looked him in the eyes again. "Well…now that you're here, perhaps you can finally come home and study. Well…" she smiled, shrugging. "If that's what you want…" Gohan raised an eyebrow.

"Huh…?" Chi-Chi gave him her kind, mother's smile again, running her hand through his still blond hair.

"Hey, if that's what you want. Well…while you were gone with Bulma, Krillin and…you're green friend…I…did some thinking," she said, straightening his head band. Green friend referred to Piccolo and, since his hearing was so sharp, the Namekian caught it. He may have felt a bit embarrased at the statement, but he didn't let it get to him. He was used to it. Chi-Chi just tilted her head, checking to make sure her son was neat and tidy. Well, that was an understatement, since his gi was ruined; and he was bleeding, bruised and battered like an old doll. She licked her thumb and rubbed it against some dirt on his cheek, whipping it away. "Seeing as that my boy is so smart and so strong…I thought that… maybe… he should have a right to choose what _he_ wants to do. What does he want to become? So…" she smiled back down at him, looking him into his innocent, untainted, teal eyes. "What do you want to do? Do you want to become a fighter, or a scholar? It's up to you. Best make your decision now then later when it's too late…"

Gohan was astounded. His mother never made a consideration like this about him or his future. This was definitely something new. Perhaps it had something to do with his return or perhaps his absence. He didn't know. All he knew however was that his mother had changed. Strange…not only had he and his father changed, but Chi-Chi had taken a turn as well. It made him think whether his fused spirit and new, sentient form extended beyond his own flesh and blood and into his family. Shrugging, he went on to thinking. It really didn't take him long to make a decision and choice. By this time, Bulma had returned to the gang and was checking up to make sure Goku and the others were still in one piece. For some reason, she took a more fond reaction to Vegeta, who fussed at her concerns.

The young Saiyan child smiled up at his mother. "I want to become a fighter mom…just like dad. But…if it will make you happy…I can still study…but only on my own terms. Is…that okay?" he asked. Chi-Chi nodded.

"Of course it is son. If that's what you want…then so be it. Hey," she exclaimed, taking his face into her hands and looking at him intensely. "You're my son…and I'll always love you…and be proud at your accomplishments and who you become. It's what mothers are supposed to be…and I'm _your_ mother."

Gohan smiled and nodded. "Thanks mom…"

Back with the rest of the Z-fighters and Namekians, it was seen that almost everyone was watching the Son mother and Gohan reunite. This was mostly because the ki Gohan was radiating was incredible, shocking, Tien, Yamcha and Chouzu at its magnitude. Goku, Krillin, Piccolo and Vegeta however weren't bothered. They were right there when he transformed, and had no reason to be shocked. The Namekians were just curious to see how the mother and son interacted. Dende smiled. But then, as realization dawned, everyone returned to original discussion. Vegeta glared at Kami and the others, his old strength slowly returning to him.

"So…what now? What are we going to do with the Namekians? They have nowhere to go now!" The prince shouted. This matter, already established, was brought up into further discussion amongst the Z-fighters, Kami and Guru. After a moment or so, Kami turned to the Z-fighters and began to speak.

"We will find the Namekians suitable accommodations here on Earth until their dragon balls return to this planet and are restored to working order. It should take about a year for the dragon balls to have their magic revived and are able to work again," Kami explained. "When we summon the dragon, he will find them a new home planet and will transport them there…"

Goku blinked and tilted his head at the guardian. "W-What about the other wishes? Parunga allows three, that's only one?" Kami smiled and turned to the Guru. The Great Elder of the Namekians, amazingly still alive, smiled, showing a reawakened strength of life.

"I believe that can be helped. The other two wishes you can use, and wish for anything you want or desire. This shall be your reward for helping us…" The Guru breathed and turned to those who had been on Planet Namek. He looked at Goku, then Vegeta, Piccolo, Krillin and then finally, Gohan. The Saiyan child was smiling, still in Super Saiyan form and shining in a luminous light. The Great Elder nodded. "Thank you all…"

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_

****

* * *

_**Power levels:**_

**(Final Battle with Frieza)**

**Frieza:**

Base: 220,000

Base (Full Power): 530,000

Frieza (2nd form): 1,700,000

Frieza (3rd form): 2,300,000

Frieza (Final Form- 5 percent): 3,500,000

Frieza (Final Form- 50 percent): 6,000,000

Frieza (Final Form- 75 percent): 9,000,000

Frieza (Final Form- 100 percent): 12,000,000

* * *

**Gohan:**

Base (With Unlocked Potential): 5,000,000

Base (Full Power-With Unlocked Potential): 10,500,000

Super Saiyan: 18,000,000

* * *

**Goku:**

Base: 1,500,000

Kaioken X 50: 2,200,000

Super Saiyan: 10,000,000

* * *

**Vegeta:**

Base (With Unlocked Potential): 1,500,000

* * *

**Piccolo:**

Base: 950,000

Sync With Nail (With Unlocked Potential): 2,900,000

* * *

**Krillin:**

Base (With Unlocked Potential): 37,000


	14. Tales from the Future

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Tales from the Future_

Life on earth continued as usual. There had been little word of any conflicts or crimes, so things were looking up…for everyone. The Z-fighters also used the opportunity of peace and quiet to catch up on the things they have missed. All the while, the strongest members of the group took advantage of the peace time opportunities to train some more. It was also a time where they all went their separate ways, giving each other some privacy.

Tien and Chouzu disappeared to parts of the world unknown. Before they left, they said something about training some more, and work on their skills. Only Gohan truly knew where they went. Yamcha moved into an apartment in Capsule Corp. and just kicked back to relax. He felt no need to continue training, only when it was really necessary. Master Roshi, Oolong and Turtle continued to hang in the South on Kame Island, where things weren't at all hectic but were nice and peaceful. Krillin moved in with Master Roshi as well, resting most of them time but occasionally going out to see Goku and the others or floundering in the shallows or surrounding islands to train. Kami returned to the look out with Mr. Popo to continue with guardian duties, tending to various issues and stabilizing things on their own. Piccolo didn't return to the look out. In fact, he stayed as far away from the area as possible. He decided to hang around Mount Paoz, close by to the Son household to keep an eye on things. He also found that the Mountain Area was more peaceful then any other place. It was 500 miles from any village or civilization, making it a 1000 square mile area to wander. It was perfect for him. Vegeta had taken up residence at Capsule Corp., with Bulma _insisting_ for him to stay. Everyone had noticed that the blue haired woman had taken quite a shine to him, and would make up any excuse to hang around with the prince. It came to the Z-fighters' minds that she had a thing for him, but they may just be exaggerating the issue a bit too much. Anyway, Goku, Chi-Chi and the Ox-King remained in their sweet little homestead. Chi-Chi's dad would leave every now and then to complete errands involving the running of his Kingdom. He had his own home, and would stay there most of the time. As usual, Chi-Chi carried on with household duties whereas Goku spent his time helping her, catching up one the things he had missed as well as train to get stronger. Eventually, he was able to control his Super Saiyan form and use it at his own will. Then there was Gohan. The Saiyan child spent most of his time away from his friends and family, and always managed to disappear every once in a while. In other words, his ki would always seem to vanish. Well, there was a reasonable explanation for this.

Gohan left mostly to train by himself. Just like before, he would explore his surroundings, finding new ways to strengthen himself and master the arts of martial arts. He primarily practiced Wushu and Shao-Lin style Kung Fu. After every long day training sessions he had, he would retire to the very place he felt more at peace. Sometimes it was nature, the outside world and the mountains of Mount Paoz. There was one area near the coast where he could sit and meditate, looking out over the vast valleys and landscapes, admiring its beauty. Then there was the castle, the very place that had changed his life. It was his sanctuary, a sacred place. He felt that certain connection that had once bonded Echo…or him more like it. He retreated here, and would meditate under the light. It was as if he was gaining more of an understanding about two worlds.

The routines that followed and the lives of the others carried on for weeks on end. The Namekians found their place in Capsule Corp, where the Briefs tended to their needs and what not. They were even taught about their culture, and in kind the Elders taught their hosts about their culture. A lot of good times were had of this. It was said that Yamcha and Krillin tried dating, but they failed successfully. It worked for a while but they couldn't reach the interests of the women in which they courted. Vegeta, who was being an ass as usual, was given permission to use the GR. The determination to reach the level of Super Saiyan was over-powering for him. After seeing Goku and Gohan transform, he had the desire to reach that level too. If two Saiyans who didn't act like the true warriors from which they originated could do it, then so could he. Bulma had taken the liberty of observing the Prince's training, finding his attitude towards it quite interesting. But then again, everyone knew what was going on there…

A year had quickly passed, and as soon as everyone felt it was the time, they all gathered at Capsule Corp, minus Chouzu and Tien. The Namekians all said their good-byes to their newly made friends and, after setting up the dragon balls, Dende summoned the dragon. In a blinding flash of golden light and a rush of fierce wind, the dragon of Namek…well…uhh…lets just say the magical dragon, emerged from his confinements inside the balls and towered above the city. The skies darkened, with the dragon silhouetted against the sky's surface. His red eyes glared down at the base of his form, immediately spotting those who had summoned him. Everyone was amazed at the spectacle, and marveled at the massive beast.

"_**You, who have gathered the seven dragon balls, have awakened me from my slumber,"**_ the Great Parunga said in a booming, mystical voice. _**"I shall grant you three wishes! Speak them now so that I may go…"**_

The Z-fighters smiled and looked back down at Dende. The little Namekian turned to them with a bright smile. "Well, you heard the dragon! What would you like to wish for?"

Bulma smiled and glanced down at Gohan. "What do you think kid?" Gohan, dressed in his regular, traditional gi clothes with his sword tied around him, smiled and walked forward.

"I think I have something in mind that we can benefit from," Gohan exclaimed, looking up. Parunga glared down at him, Dende backing down. The young Saiyan smirked and then began to speak. **"For my first wish, I wish that all people killed by Frieza and his men be brought back to life!"** Parunga's eyes shimmered at this

"_**Excuse me…but wouldn't that be considered two wishes?"**_ he asked. Gohan raised an eyebrow. Someone's a bit picky. Shaking his head, the young Saiyan began his explanations.

"**The wish is a two part, Parunga!"** Gohan shouted. The dragon nodded in understandment.

"_**Very well!"**_ His eyes glowed a bright red, his body also glowing a brighter gold. Then, seconds later, as soon as the magic was initiated, it ended. The dragon glared back down in success. _**"Your wish has been granted. Speak your second wish!"**_

Gohan smiled and yelled up again, stating his second, defined wish which he had been saving. **"Parunga, I wish for ten bags of Senzu beans, with each bag bearing infinite contents. Can you make the bags small and able to be carried?!"** Everyone looked at Gohan in confusion and puzzlement. They wondered what the child could have wished for. Parunga nodded and gave him the thumbs up.

"_**Your wish shall be granted!"**_ he said. His eyes glowed red, and he easily fulfilled the wish. Gohan held out his hand, watching as one after another, small brown bags of beans landed in his palm, he had to set one down each time, making way for the next bag. It felt as though each bag held about 30 beans, but the contents would be infinite for sure, if Parunga was true to his will. After all ten bags have been made Gohan looked up at Parunga and bowed; thanking him. The dragon nodded. _**"The second wish has been done as per request!"**_

Turning around, Gohan smiled and tossed a bag over to Bulma. "Catch!" The scientist caught it in two hands, thrown back by the young child's throw. Untying it and opening the bag, she looked into it to see a mass of green beans filled to the brim. Everyone looked inside to take a look. Seeing what they were, they all looked at Gohan in confusion.

"Beans…?" Bulma queried. "Why would we need beans for?" Gohan smiled, collecting up three more bags. He slipped one of them into his belt, claming that one for himself.

"Those _beans _are Senzu Beans, Bulma," the boy replied. "I wished for ten infinite bags. If you want you can take one, but we should really give two to Korin for safe keeping." Krillin, Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo and the other Z-fighters were overly satisfied and smiled. It was a pretty good wish.

"Good thinking, Gohan," Krillin exclaimed.

"We could surely use those," Piccolo continued in his place. Gohan nodded and walked over to Piccolo and the others, his left arm holding the brown bags. He held one up and gave it to his Namekian friend.

"Yeah!" Gohan said with a grin. "After seeing my dad carrying a bag with him to Namek, I realized that we may need more in the future. To limit ourselves of the restrictions of running out, this idea came to my mind," Gohan explained. He tossed one over to his father, who caught it and took measure of the contents. He threw it up and caught it, smiling. Gohan then gave another bag to Krillin, and then another to his mother. The other four he held onto, planning to give two to Korin his next trip around. The other two he would have to find another place for.

Turning back to the dragon, they saw Dende speaking with one of the Elder. They were both speaking out of ear shot, and were looking quite serious. Dende appeared to be trying to convince the Elder for something, but he was putting up a defense about it. After a moment or so, Dende seemed to brighten and he nodded in response. The Elder then gave him a brief explanation and then let him carry on. Rushing over to the dragon, Dende looked up and shouted his next wish to him.

"_Parunga!"_ he shouted. **"For my final wish, I wish that all Namekians on Earth, except Kami, Piccolo and I, be sent to a new, inhabitable planet with the same geological and atmospheric features as the old Namek!" **Gohan was surprised by one of the bits. The dragon nodded affirmatively and, looking up, granted the wish. His eyes glowed red and his body radiated all the more. Then, after a moment or two, he looked back down at Dende.

"_**Your wishes have been granted. I bid thee farewell!"**_ With that accomplished, the dragon flashed a bright light and then vanished into the dragon balls. As soon as he had disappeared, the seven Namekian dragon balls shot skywards and continued to fly on and on till they vanished into the depths of space. Just as the dragon balls were flying off, all Namekians except all those mentioned not to go, all turned transparent and vanished. The sky returned to normal, and the visitors to earth were gone.

As soon as all the Namekians had vanished, and that the world's ways were back to normal, everyone turned to Dende. The Namek child smiled happily and rushed over to Gohan. The youngest Saiyan was puzzled by what his friend had done.

"Dende, why didn't you go with the other Namekians to the new planet?" Gohan asked. Dende grinned.

"Well, Kami saw that I had a great gift as a Namekian, and that one day he may need a new Guardian of Earth. So he met with me in person and asked me if I would consider this as a future prospect. I was a bit weary at first, but then I realized that I would get to stay on this planet with all my friends. I had to talk with the Elder about it, and he agreed for me to stay," the young Namek exclaimed. Gohan blinked a couple of times and smiled a few seconds later.

"That's awesome Dende! But…" Gohan's expression changed to confusion. "What are you going to do till then?" The young Saiyan asked. Dende smiled and shrugged.

"As soon as the other Namekians were gone, Kami said for me to meet him up on the Look Out. I think he'll be starting my training now," Dende replied. Gohan nodded affirmatively.

"Great. Hey, do you need help getting up there?" Gohan asked. Dende shook his head.

"No thanks Gohan, I can manage. I'll have to get going now. Tasks are waiting for me!" Dende said with a wave. "See yah Gohan!" The young Saiyan waved back.

"Yeah, see yah Dende! I'll come visit you from time to time to check on you!" Gohan stated. Dende chuckled and nodded. With a final wave to the others, he took off into the skies and flew in the direction of the Look Out. As soon as he was out of sight, Gohan turned to the others to see them looking amongst each other.

"So…what now?" Yamcha asked. "That's one adventure finally over…" Krillin nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. And I tell you something else, it was one strange journey!" the monk continued. Goku crossed his arms, glancing over at Vegeta.

"Well, guess its back to training and good old relaxation," Goku exclaimed. Vegeta just turned away, his own arms folded over his chest.

"Whatever…" the Saiyan Prince replied, disinterested in what Goku had to say.

Chi-Chi, Goku and Gohan turned to each other. Before they could share a laugh or any other discussion, they heard a loud grumbling and Chi-Chi and Gohan, as well as everyone else, turned to Goku in surprise. The older Saiyan was clutching his stomach and blushing with embarrassment. He also gave them the famous Son grin and, as soon as the gurgling stopped, he straightened up and rubbed the back of his head.

"Uhh…I'm hungry," he exclaimed. "What's for lunch, Chi-Chi?" The Son mother rolled her eyes and leapt into his arms.

"Fly me home and I'll make you some fried rice…or a truck load of it anyway," Chi-Chi stated. Goku wasted no time in standing around and immediately took off for home with his wife in his arms. The Z-Team on the ground waved after them. Gohan hung back to say good-bye to everyone else before taking off. Piccolo decided to come along too, since Mount Paoz was in that direction anyway.

Man…what a day…

* * *

_**A Year later…**_

As usual life proceeded to give and receive its pleasures. The departure of the Namekians to their new home world didn't change the daily routines of the others, but only managed to create an empty gap which was filled in by work and recreation. The Z-warriors spent the months doing…well…whatever. It wasn't just to pass the time but to fill in the gaps of what they had mostly missed in their lives.

The year Yamcha, Tien and Chouzu had spent dead had been made up for in this year. Yamcha continued to chase women, at the same time trying to fulfill his career as both a martial artist and a professional base-baller. Tien and Chouzu just revisited old ways and trained together. Talk was had that the pair of them had made new friends high up in the Mountain Ranges to the North. It was also said that a new Kingdom had been established in their honor, due to Chouzu's history as a leader at one point. Still, they remained most of the time independent, departing for places unknown.

Dende had taken up a job as a second serviceman for Kami, offering help to Mr. Popo as well. It was a life he was quite enjoying. Every day Dende would get down to his duties and later on would focus on his studies with Kami. The Guardian of Earth filled him in on his roles, as well as the rules and laws lay down upon man, animal and spirit alike. Gohan, being a new formed entity of unknown origins, was ruled out as one of those needing to be influenced over. When dealing with something as new as that, it was best left alone until further research.

Piccolo has returned to his regular life of long, peaceful meditations out in the wide expanses of nature. He was never too far away from the Son house hold and would keep to the boundaries he had set up himself. As usual, he never really bothered anyone, and people rarely bothered him. On a number of occasions he would go see Gohan, or the young Saiyan child would come and see him. The two would meditate for hours on end, or would get down to some martial arts training and sparring. They would talk, like old time friends, contemplating some thoughts and questions. It was also fun to quote on life and its pleasures itself. Gohan has become famed among the group for his use of philosophy…even when it wasn't really necessary. Other then that, the two unlikely friends just meditated.

Vegeta and Bulma…well…the two have been growing closer and closer since first meeting. Although Vegeta sort of resented the extra attention from the blue haired woman, he was slowly falling into place (if you know what I mean). Bulma was always happy whenever Vegeta was around, even if he was a bit of a arrogant, pig-head. He had some reckless disregard for the use of the GR and would destroy it every time. Bulma was always there to clean up the mess. Even though she was already getting used to cleaning up after him, she would sometimes think about how more well-mannered Gohan was when he was using the GR. he was far more respectful.

Goku had gradually begun to return to his daily training sessions. However, the swift hand Chi-Chi imposed on him kept him from going out much, therefore he fell behind in terms of strength. However, as far as he was concerned, his skill as a martial artist remained. After a couple of months, he was finally able to gain full control over his Super Saiyan form. The fatigue after each transformation lessened, so he got a bit less of a headache after each time. Chi-Chi was pleased Goku was back and spending a lot more time with her. Still, Goku wouldn't pass out a free time opportunity to get out and train some more. There are some things about that man that never change.

Gohan, aside from everyone else, has continued his daily routine of alternate hard training, which took up most of his time, studying and family-friends time. Since his full turn to martial arts, Gohan hasn't changed from his outfit since because of all his training. But on the advice from his mother, he changed into something else every once in a while, to when they were going out to the nearby village, the city, to any of their friends' places, etc. Since he never needed to sleep, he would always go out to train and meditate. On most nights he headed up to his castle many states away, and would spend his whole night there before quickly zapping back to his room before his mother woke up.

It was also shocking to learn that Gohan asked his mother to train him a bit. The Son mother, pleased that her son was showing recognition of her martial arts skills, taught him Karate, Taikwondo and Ninjitsu. She had a lot of things to teach him, and whenever he wasn't studying (note that he finished every library stack she got him with 15 minutes), she would train with him outdoors. At the same time Goku would be out seeing his friends or, on a more likely idea, training himself. It was great that the family was spending a lot more time together then expected.

* * *

_**Outside the Son household**_

The backyard just yards away from any tree, obstacle, clothes line or river has, for the past few months, played host as a training ground for Gohan and Chi-Chi. The absence of Goku was marked by the faint signal of his ki in the distance, leaving the Saiyan child and his mother to spar. Skid marks along the ground, as well as the tell tale signs of upturned dirt, rock, gravel, battle patches and torn up grass, were the scars left in the wake of the furious spars that had (and were) taken place. In normal human terms, it was considered an impressive spectacle…

Flipping backwards through the air, Gohan dropped into a firm fighting stance, left hand forward and right held up, close to his cheek. Chi-Chi took a stand several meters in front of him, dropped in a familiar kata used in Karate. She glared at her son, her feet spreading out to get more balance.

Both of them had been training hard, honing in on their skills. Chi-Chi's intentions however were to train her son through use of her techniques. Gohan's task was to learn from here. The two of them were also dressed in accordance with this training session. Gohan only wore his gi pants and shoes with ankle and wrist weights. His white T-shirt, outer sash, head band and sword was folded and set up neatly under a tree not to far from the training sight. Chi-Chi was dressed in her own martial arts uniform. It was her old, blue style, tradition gi robe she had worn back in the day when she had fought Goku in the ring. Her hair had been tied back for this occasion, making sure that any of the strands of her hair didn't interfere.

Circling each other, the two remained placed at equal distances and using the same central line. Chi-Chi nodded to her son, watching hi's footwork through the corner of her eye.

"Good Gohan," she exclaimed. "Concentrate on your stances and movements. Remember, this art mostly focuses on your technique, making each blow decisive, quick and precise. No matter what your opponent might attempt, you can over-power him or her through use of good technique. The right moves can cripple, whilst the wrong moves can be costly…"

Gohan nodded in understanding. Then, the two stopped. Adjusting their stances, the two then approached, closing the gap as they shuffled towards one another. Keeping pace, Chi-Chi attacked her son, throwing quick, lightning fast blows at him; using only her fists. Her stance pivoted and moved, her body putting most of the force into her strikes. Her hand movements were really quick, with each angle, strike and hand position changing dramatically. Gohan blocked and parried each of her strikes with combinations of his own. Whenever she came in with a punch, he moved it to the side before countering with an elbow. To which she blocked and struck at him with a hook. Gohan would crouch low a bit and hold up an arm to defend, as her hook would take a turn downward. He would then punch up, countering her next attack. She parried that, after which she would return to her assault.

After a furious assault, to which the two circled each other in the centre, the two then leapt back. Dropping into an attack stance, Gohan immediately moved forward. Chi-Chi lashed out in turn, the two of them shifting and moving around. Whenever met with resistance, they would defend, but always countered every so often. Gohan used this opportunity and attacked, taking advantage on all of Chi-Chi faults. That didn't mean he received hits of his own. But as training carried on, he learnt something new every step of the way…

* * *

It was thought that these times of peace would continue on for much longer. But then…a sinister foe from the past was about to return. And when the Z-warriors sensed his familiar, cold hand extend its reaches towards earth, everything turned dark…and would remain for the next many months to come…

* * *

One day, while Gohan was meditating in his castle, he suddenly felt a cold chill run down his spine. No it wasn't from the low temperature of the Mountain Ranges; it was something more…much more. However, he didn't grow aware of this feeling immediately. Instead, he remained floating above the stone-made, crumbling platform where his sword was once impaled inside the diamond boulder (note it was also missing). His eyes were closed, legs and arms crossed, and everything around him was quiet, except for the gentle sound of a cool breeze and the constant, timed dripping of the water from the stalactite crystal onto a stalagmite crystal directly beneath it. Its mythical chime didn't disrupt Gohan's meditation. 

But just then, Gohan sensed the cold reach a new level, where it was accompanied by a familiar, evil energy. His eyes flew open and he glared over his shoulder, eyes narrowing. He could feel it. It was close. After all these years, why would _he_ decide to return now?

'_Frieza…'_ Gohan thought.

Picking up his sword lying in front of him, Gohan buckled it and then sprinted for the exit of his home-away-from-home. Pushing his way through the door then closing it behind him, Gohan flared up his aura and then shot off into the skies at top speed. The cold whipped against him, but he didn't falter. His mind was now fully focused on the powerful ki level heading towards the planet. He was for certain that it was the tyrant. Frieza was alive…

'_The thought of him surviving Namek's explosion is just crazy!'_ Gohan thought to himself. _'Surely he was just hanging onto a thread of life when I defeated him. There was no way he could have survived. Then again he's tough…plus he can breathe in space…'_

Gohan flew on, soaring passed his Mountain Ranges and straight over valleys and hills. He broke over several villages, hoping that he wasn't spotted. People might assume he was a missile and would call in the Air Force. He didn't need that problem on his hands. So, increasing speed, he shot off above the clouds. The valleys and land disappeared, blocked out by the white fluffy masses of moisture. Soon the young Saiyan was flying above the clouds, nearly out of sight. Within minutes, he was over the sea, and still flying at an incredible rate.

He used his sense to hone in on Frieza's signal. He tracked its route through space, narrowing it down to an area several miles away. When he knew he was getting close, he dropped down so that he was beneath the clouds. He glared down, seeing that he was moving over a barren wasteland…a desert with rocky plateaus, mountains, outcrops and cliffs. Gohan furrowed his brow, sort of relieved. If Frieza's plan was to land here, then he had reason to feel at ease, seeing as that there was no one around who will get hurt.

While on flight for the landing zone, he spotted a group of people nearby. On a closer, quick inspection, he saw that it was the Z-gang and smiled. He dove down, his aura dropping. With a quick spin through the air, he landed on two feet just outside of the group. The whole gang turned to him when they heard his call and sensed his ki. Gohan straightened, waving to them. Almost everyone was here: Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Krillin, Tien, Yamcha, Chouzu…even Bulma and Puar. Apparently there had just been an argument between Yamcha, Vegeta and Tien. It appears that some old ties won't ever die.

"Hey there! Am I late?" Gohan asked. His father smiled and waved back.

"Hey son!"

Krillin grinned, relieved to see his old friend show up. Everyone was relieved, of course. "Don't worry Gohan, you're just in time," the monk exclaimed.

"Better late then never kid," Yamcha spoke up. "We were worried you'd never come. Without you, I don't think we'd stand a chance against Frieza…" Vegeta snorted, crossing his arms and walking away from the group. Just like Piccolo, he preferred the quiet and peace of being alone and out of social activities.

"Please," the prince mumbled. "Everyone knows that Kakarot, the Namek and I are strong enough to bring down that lizard neck, and not just that brat there!" Vegeta growled, making emphasis of Gohan's presence and glowering at him. "We're a lot stronger now then we were on Namek. This should be a piece of cake…"

"I wouldn't say so Vegeta," Piccolo said, turning around. His cape blew about in the wind, yet he remained strong as a statue despite the fierce pulls. "Perhaps from earlier experiences, we have learned that Frieza isn't so easy to beat. And I think he's also brought some more help…"

Krillin gulped and looked down nervously. "Man…now this really makes me feel bad about not being strong enough…"

Gohan smiled and stepped forward, emerging in the group's circle. "Don't worry Krillin…you can let us deal with the heavy duty work. As for the henchmen, the rest of you can freely dispose of him…"

Bulma placed her hands on her hips and stared at Gohan with a proud smirk. "Well, aren't you a great leader," she exclaimed, a bit sarcastically. "Very well organized and giving a piece of work to everyone. You know…some of us aren't really that good at fighting. What about me?"

Vegeta just glared at her, whereas Gohan answered her question. "My plan didn't really involve you Bulma. Your official role in the fight with Frieza on Namek was to provide us with a base and backbone on our search for the dragon balls. However, your presence here at the moment is quite unexpected. That means we'll have to set a guard on you," Gohan stated, glancing over at the Prince of Saiyans standing just a few meters away from her. He smirked devilishly. "I'll give the guarding duties to you Vegeta…"

The Saiyan Prince was taken aback at this. Everyone else was just shocked beyond belief. "WHAT?!"

Gohan just saluted. _'Enjoy it while you can tiger…'_ the young Saiyan exclaimed to the prince in perfect Latin. Everyone but Piccolo couldn't understand what Gohan had said. When the green warrior heard what his student had to say, he couldn't help but snort and chuckle in amusement. Well, Gohan sure struck the arrogant prince below the belt.

Suddenly, Just as the group had assembled in a random order, Piccolo looked up and suddenly spotted a large disk shaped-space craft burst through the clouds and flew straight down to them at an incredibly fast rate. With seconds, everyone spotted it. It was quite ironic that all those in the group sensed the ship's approach before spotting it. As soon as the ship was in sight, everyone was struck with the full magnitude of the evil power radiating from it. There was a large number of smaller ki's spread out throughout the ship, whereas there were two, larger ki's standing side by side on the observation deck. These two dwarfed them all.

The ship was a large, disk shaped vessel, kind of like your original flying saucer only built in the image of Frieza's royalty. It was mostly white with many parts making up the hull black in color. It also had yellow, orb windows that were pressurized for space travel and could resist bombardments of space rocks, debris etc. The observation deck had a forward window which was purple, whilst the main bridge was built below it. The support, landing pads, which had not been deployed yet, remained folded up and set inside the craft.

Tien, Yamcha, Bulma, Puar, Krillin, Chouzu, Piccolo, Goku and Vegeta were in solid states of shock. Gohan however was passive. He glared up at the ship, not really afraid of anything. Though Frieza's power had increased a significant amount from their last encounter, it was not at the same level it was when he was at 100 percent Final Form. It barely grazed passed 75 percent. The second ki was even lower, and wasn't as strong as Frieza's. The other's had reason to be shocked, whereas he didn't. Frieza was no different then what he was before.

The ship floated over to them, it's large, streaking hull overshadowing the entire group. It then spun, hovering above the ground before coming to a steady landing. It's landing pads deployed, and within seconds, it touched down. As soon as the engines and drivers were switched off, the ki's moved about, readying for disembarking. The Z-team backed away when the top hatch opened. An entire legion of 30 troops appeared in front of them, zapping out of super speed and scattering into formation. The Z-fighters and Frieza's henchmen stood on equal grounds, at least 40 meters away from each other. Gohan stood at the front of his friends, with Goku, Vegeta and Piccolo at his sides.

After a few seconds had passed, Gohan looked up to the top of the ship. There, he saw an energy orb with two people inside fly up and then drift down to the ground. The orb disappeared, revealing two new aliens who stood in front of the legion of henchmen. The smaller of the two stepped forward and smirked.

"Well, well, well," the familiar foe exclaimed. "We meet again brat…"

The Z-crew remained silent. Those who had power levels under a million were frozen with fear. Goku, Piccolo, Vegeta and Gohan were the only ones who were calm and collected. However, three of which were looking a bit nervous themselves. Gohan was the only one who was glaring calmly at Frieza. As he did so, he looked the two villains over, as well as the number of soldiers they were faced with.

The soldiers were the same as the ones back on Namek. Like the Ginyu Force, they wore spandex uniforms and plastic armor. As driven to the extreme, they were trained and toughened up, looking quite intimidating in the eyes of the other Z-warriors. They had power levels far lower then Frieza's, and so would be easy to handle. Frieza and the other guy however would be the hardest to deal with. There have been multiple changes made, which became quite obvious in Gohan's eyes. Frieza was back, only this time he was more robotic then pure flesh. The lower half of the tyrant below the waist line was completely mechanical. He had silver made, steel legs. The hip, pelvis and crotch area was marked by flexible joints to allow the legs and tail movement. The tail had also been modified, layers of cold hard steel applied to give the appendage more flexibility. On further inspection, Gohan saw that the left side of Frieza's head had also been modified with integrated circuits. His head must have been torn away in the planet's explosion. Then Gohan looked down at Frieza's left arm where he had blown it off before he could inflict the final, punishing attack. The arm was mechanical as well, and was built to suit the rest of Frieza's appearance and make. The modeling gone into this may have been a bit off, but it was all Frieza's scientists could scrounge up to rebuild Frieza into the killing machine he once was.

The second character also caught Gohan's attention. He was incredibly, big. It reminded Gohan of Frieza's second form, except Frieza didn't reach his height, size and weight. The guy had horns poking up and out of his cranium crown, which was crested with the same purple exo-plates Frieza had. He also wore black, plastic armor with orange shoulder guards and flexi wear. He also wore a cape, with a tail prodding out from underneath. To finish off the description, he had the same flesh and out color Frieza had in his second form, only he looked much older. Family terms for Frieza were strange…

Frieza chuckled, glaring at their opposition with his fists placed on his hips. "I must admit, it's been a while since we last met. I see things have turned out well for you. And we have some new fighters to add to the slaughter!" he exclaimed, taking note of the rest of the Z-fighters standing around. "I believe reintroductions are warranted…" the Cyborg Frieza glanced back at the large alien standing behind him. "Isn't that right father?"

The giant alien nodded with a smirk, his own arms crossed over his chest. "Of course son…of course…" Frieza grinned and gestured towards the towering alien behind him.

"Let me introduce to you my father, King Cold. He has been so longing to meet you all…" The alien, designated King Cold, nodded in agreement, but had other things to add to the picture.

"Yes, but it was my son you see…who wanted to come to earth and destroy it. I was just dragged along," the large warrior replied. Frieza turned to the Z-fighters again, tail swishing behind him dangerously.

"And so that's why we've come here," Frieza continued. His harsh grin then turned into a threatening glare, one that made Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, Bulma, Chouzu and Puar concerned for their safety. "…to take my revenge on you meddlesome rats! I may have cleaned up the mess on Namek years before, but I see the cockroaches have returned. So here, I will exterminate you all, one by one…just to make it fun…"

"We'll see about that!" a voice called. Suddenly, a golden ki blast erupted out of nowhere and struck the space ship. A megaton explosion engulfed the entire ground area around it, the entire legion of henchmen getting caught within the explosion and incinerated. Within seconds, they were gone, with the fire ball slowly shrinking back and turning to smoke. Frieza, King Cold and the entire Z-gang was caught completely off guard. All the Z-fighters wheeled to their left, where as the remaining two members of the Cold Empire turned to their right, to see an unknown teenager with grey hair float down from the skies and land several meters out from everyone. The remains of Frieza's ship now lay in a smoking crater, all left forgotten.

When the teenager landed, everyone immediately began taking in his appearance. He had grey-purple hair, wore a dark blue jacket bearing the Capsule Corp logos, a black turtle neck, yellow belt, and black slacks, yellow Capsule Corp made boots and a sword fitted with a sheath flung round him and strapped up. Gohan took a closer look at the kid, furrowing his brow at him. The guy had blue eyes, and was glaring over at Frieza. His ki was normal for him, it was pretty high too. He also had blue eyes with black pupils. However, when Gohan's eyes moved over to his sword, he got a huge shock when he recognized it to be his sword.

"_What the?!"_ Gohan thought drastically. _"T-That's my weapon! But…my sword is right here!"_ he continued, wrapping his hand and curling his fingers around the handle. The tinge and feel of its purity flooded into him, confirming him that it was his. However, the other sword wielded by that warrior was his, no doubt. He would recognize it anywhere._ "What's going on!?"_

Frieza scowled at the new arrival and took a more straightened stance. Everyone had their eyes on him. "Who are you, rodent?" Frieza growled. "I don't think you were invited to this gathering…"

The warrior hardened his glare on Frieza and balled his fists tightly. Everyone felt his ki take a jump, shocking even Vegeta and Piccolo. "I don't have to pass on my identity to you, Frieza!" the mysterious youth stated. "All I'm going to say to you is 'good-bye', you're history. I'm going to be the one who defeats you today!" Frieza growled, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. His robotic arm crackled with electricity.

"Why you insolent…" Frieza reared back and took a fighting stance, his right arm cranked back and up. "Defeat me?! I don't think so! I'll make mince meat out of you! TAKE THIIIIIIIIISSS!!!" Frieza roared, a golden, sparkling ball of high energy popping up in his hand. The very appearance of the attack started up a galling force wind that made King Cold and the Z-fighters step back in shock. Sensing the very magnitude of the blast sent, Yamcha, Tien, Krillin and Chouzu into flight, with Bulma and Puar in tow. Gohan, Goku, Vegeta and Piccolo remained on the ground.

"GET BACK!" Krillin yelled. "THAT'S WAY TOO STRONG!"

King Cold turned to his son in astonishment. "NO FRIEZA! YOU'LL DESTROY US ALL!!!"

With a battle cry, Frieza flung his right hand forward and unleashed the powerful blast, hurling it at colossal speeds straight for the youth. Dust clouds parted, wind directions shifting dramatically. Gohan, Goku, Vegeta and Piccolo watched through squinted eyes to see what the boy would do. There was a titanic explosion, reaching the same power and magnitude of force as a atomic blast. It sent fire, sparks of energy and smoke hurling everywhere. The very force of the explosion, made Frieza and King Cold bite down and hold their ground. Piccolo and Vegeta were nearly knocked off their feet, whereas Goku remained barely stationed where he was. Gohan was standing normally, his long, black hair tied back thanks to his head band waving madly, just like his clothes due to the wind. He gazed at the explosion, watching the events pass by quickly. Seconds later, the scene's climax dropped, leaving a massive trench line with a huge crater at the end, smoke and fire hurling from its base.

Frieza grinned successfully, both he and his father looking to see what damage had been done. Their smiles were wiped clean when suddenly, the fire and smoke was blown away and the young man reappeared, only this time, had teal toned eyes, blonde hair and was floating with a golden aura surrounding him. The mysterious warrior, now identified as a Super Saiyan, floated over the crater, out of the burning heart and landed a couple of meters out. His feet placed themselves firmly on the ground, a slight dust cloud lifting when his aura spread itself out. After glaring momentarily at Frieza and his father, the boy smirked and began to speak.

"Come now Frieza," he said confidently. "Surely you can do better then that…"

Frieza trembled with anger, scowling at the boy with hate raging in his cold, red eyes. King Cold and the Z-fighters were also staring at the boy as well, but were more along the lines of shock and astonishment. Gohan however wasn't. He glared at the mysterious Super Saiyan, his eyes glowing a strong teal, showing some anger hidden underneath his usually calm, peaceful persona.

Just then, Frieza shifted his stance and raised his left arm up, pointing his hand directly at the boy. When it was thought he was about to unleash a ki attack, something else happened. His hand suddenly flipped back into a socket and then, his arm unfolded and then folded up once more, morphing into some sort of giant cannon. King Cold turned his attention to his son, looking a bit apprehensive. Gohan, Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo and those Z-fighters hovering above the ground also turned to Frieza, wondering what move he could accomplish from this. They were quite surprised to see the weapon appear in place of his arm. The warrior that would soon be the receiving end of this weapon lowered his smirk and scowled. This he obviously did not expect.

The cannon that Frieza's robotic arm turned into resembled that of a jet engine turbine with exterior pieces and color that matched the rest of his prosthetic limbs. Small ventilation slots appeared on both sides of the weapon, as well as a recoil absorber, and five cylinders lining his upper shoulder. Two energy absorbers also popped out of the two air hole pieces fitted in Frieza's partially artificial head, crackling and sizzling madly. To complete the weapon, a green scouter flipped over his left eye. Indicators and read outs of all sorts appeared in his sights, locking onto his target and taking a brief energy level count before a targeting system popped up. The tyrant let out a growl, gritting his teeth as he began charging up his weapon.

At the back of the weapon, what sounded like a generator powered up, an orange light appearing inside the dark barrel of the weapon. It illuminated the area ahead of it, some of it falling onto the Super Saiyan youth, who was doing nothing to even try to avoid what was to come. In preparation for the upcoming attack, Frieza takes a firmer stance, making sure he was balanced. Seconds later, the orange dim inside his weapon suddenly burst out brightly, lighting up almost everything in sight. Frieza growled lowly and then, with a loud yell, fired. The cannon on his arm unleashed a bellowing, orange blast with twice the magnitude and velocity as his last attack. The blast ripped across the wasteland, flying straight for its target.

There was a blinding flash of light, followed by a colossal explosion. A orange fire ball consumed the warriors, spreading to a diameter of 100 meters. Frieza, King Cold, Goku, Vegeta and the other Z-fighters braced themselves as the blast radius and force winds shot outwards. They got caught in the winds and heat, all of them almost getting hurled off their feet. Gohan was the only one who remained standing normally. He glared into the explosion, watching the fire form into a mushroom, like an atomic explosion. Then, after the fire had reached effective potency, it slowly cooled and disappeared; leaving a mushroom cloud that rose and dissipated. Now all that was left was a smoking crater.

Everyone looked back, seeing what had happened. The new attack had created an even larger crater, with the two combined craters making one large one. Frieza grinned victoriously and straightened himself. His left arm quickly morphed back into an arm and he chuckled evilly. The Z-fighters were still staring at the crater, but soon enough turned back to Frieza. The tyrant, laughing to himself, turned to Gohan and the others.

"Well, that was a waste of time," Frieza mocked. "Now it's time to have some more fun. I hope you enjoy pain, because that's what you're going to get! If I could defeat that Super Saiyan, then I can waste you all the same way!" he continued, turning to Gohan fully. The young Saiyan child didn't move. Goku, Vegeta and Piccolo, who had just recently gotten back to their feet, were all glaring at Frieza as well. King Cold turned to his son; arms crossed and looking a bit disheveled thanks to the various explosions that had taken place.

"You know son, you could have used that little modification to your arm at the start so that we didn't have to waste so much time and effort here," the King expressed, showing his boredom and lack of fondness for being here. The small tyrant just shrugged.

"There is absolutely no pleasing you father," he replied. His father just turned and stared at the Z-fighters, leaving his son to the gloating.

Frieza narrowed his eyes further, brow furrowing. "So lets begin…!"

"HEY FRIEZA!!!"

That voice! The echo captured the attention of everyone present in the wastelands. The Z-fighters floating in the sky turned to their right and looked up. Frieza and King Cold on the ground also looked up to see who it was that had called them. Gohan, Goku, Vegeta and Piccolo turned in kind as well. High above them, floating with both hands pointed directly at Frieza was the Super Saiyan warrior. He was glaring down at them, a high energy level growing into an attack. Frieza was shocked.

There was a loud bang, followed by a loud whoosh of energy as the warrior unleashed a powerful, golden energy ball at Frieza and his father. In response, the two tyrants leapt into the air, flying up and watching the attack strike the ground where they once stood. The explosion wasn't as great as Frieza's attack, but packed double the energy whilst only having the explosive capability of three packets of C4. Gohan, Goku, Vegeta and Piccolo, who were also in direct contact with the attack, also had to fly away. They managed to just as the attack struck the ground. Dust, dirt and debris was hurled everywhere. It was just this Frieza glared down at, blind sighted at the back.

"Argh! When I get my hands on…" he suddenly felt a presence above him and spun around. "WHAT?!" Just as his eyes turned skywards, he saw the warrior plummeting towards him, sword drawn and blade pointing straight up. The tyrant was suspended in shock, staring up at the warrior as if paralyzed.

The Super Saiyan youth wasted no time in making his surprise attack work. Falling fast, faster then Frieza would be able to react; the boy let out a warrior's battle cry before bringing his weapon down on his opponent. The blade sliced straight through Frieza, the warrior stopping with his blade now pointed down. At first nothing happened, like the two were frozen. But then, the alien tyrant suddenly split cleaning in two, his entire components and flesh now exposing itself. King Cold was shocked, as was Goku, Vegeta, Krillin, Tien, and all those who weren't accustomed to seeing something like this. Piccolo and Gohan just glared, watching as Frieza fell before the feet of the sword wielding individual.

Wasting no time in finishing his opponent, the Super Saiyan brought swords back up before mercilessly lashing out at Frieza. His blade slashed cleanly through the air, cutting his opponent up before finishing with a final strike upwards, his sword now pointed over his left shoulder whilst held in his right hand. Then, moving his free hand underneath, he pointed it at Frieza and unleashed a powerful ki blast. The golden mass of energy enveloped Frieza and incinerated his remains. Within seconds, the blast died down, a whiff of smoke floating in place of the once mighty tyrant. When it faded, there was no trace of Frieza left. The warrior quickly corrected his position, twirling the sword in his hand and sheathing it. His weapon clicked into place and he relaxed, the battle being an effortless victory.

Vegeta gawked in shock. "H-He beat Frieza…effortlessly…" Goku blinked, also in astonishment.

"Who in the world is this guy?!"

The warrior then suddenly glanced over his right shoulder, turning his attention skyward. There, he set his sights on King Cold, the last member of Frieza's line. The giant tyrant was glaring down at the blond haired warrior, teeth gritted and bared, fists trembling. Everyone could tell he was enraged, infuriated that his son had been killed. His tail lashed madly, and his ki, which was also at a high level, shook violently on the verge of bursting a barrier. Trunks turned around, facing him fully. Gohan also had his sights set on the King, eyes still glowing a hot teal and energy slowly climbing.

When it seemed to King Cold that he was beat, he then grinned evilly and held up both his hands, palms facing towards each other but spread about a meter apart. With a low chuckle, the King sent an enormous amount of energy into his palms. After which, a dark red energy ball appeared with black electricity crackling around it. It was at the appearance of this orb of pure dark energy did the Z-fighters gasp and begin to worry, even Piccolo. The blond haired warrior raised an eyebrow up at the tyrant, surprised none to say the least. Cold laughed and leered down at all the fighters.

"You may have defeated my son you dirty little Saiyan!" King Cold roared. "But I won't let you take me down! If I'm going, I'm taking all of you and this planet with me!!!"

The mysterious warrior gasped then growled, taking a stand. The energy in the ball had just reached a new level. It exceeded past his expectations of being able to stop it. If he tried attacking the giant alien, then he might risk the ball being released at the planet. He couldn't let that happen. Even at this distance he wouldn't be able to reach the tyrant in time. The Z-fighters watched and waited nervously, hoping that what was going to happen wouldn't…

King Cold's eyes flew upon, an insane expression taking over. He grinned and yelled. "YOU'RE DEEAAAAAAAD!" Rearing back, he prepared to unleash his attack. But just then, a narrow, golden beam of energy past through his chest, penetrating from the front and going straight through, punching out of his back and flying up into space. The attack was swift, silent, deadly and surprising. Cold's eyes widened in horror when he felt his heart suddenly get punctured.

As he fell, he looked down. There, he saw his attacker, a boy with long, spiky black hair, wearing a white, traditional fighting gi top and black gi pants. Blood flew out of King Cold mouth as he took his last breath, uttering the last and only word he could think of.

"I-Impossible…" his voice left him.

Everyone turned to Gohan, even the blond haired warrior. The watched him lower his right hand and two fingers, before he reached behind him and gripped his sword's handle. Then, with a loud slice and swift strike through the air, the young Saiyan fired off an energy slash up at King Cold. The blue, crescent energy attack shot up at King Cold, the attack cutting straight into him before exploding. What showered were bits of flaming flesh and ash. At the end of the attack, Gohan lowered his sword to his side, scowling up at the area where King Cold floated. His eyes were still colored teal. Strangely, the blue crystal pendant he wore was glimmering as well, as if his energy was reacting with it.

Just then, Gohan turned swiftly to the side and pointed his sword into the air. Fazing out appeared the blond haired warrior, both of them swords drawn and pointed at one another. The Z-fighters stepped back, surprised at the sudden confrontation between the two. Silence rained as they all looked between the two, not daring to say a word for fear of the two engaging in a fight. Standing straight up in shoulder width stances and swords held in their right hands, they glared and floated where they were, not moving. The Super Saiyan warrior was glaring with gritted teeth, right arm trembling with which he held the sword in. Gohan remained fixated and strong, not even shaking an inch.

Narrowing his eyes down on the warrior, Gohan moved his sword so that it grazed the warrior's weapon. The sliding cold steel against pure metal sounded, with the Saiyan child intimidating his opponent. "It's unwise to be crossing blades with me," Gohan whispered threateningly. "I'd put that sword away if I were you…"

The Super Saiyan warrior took the hint. Powering down back to normal so that his hair was grey and his eyes were blue again, the boy then twirled his sword in his hand before sliding it back into his sheath. It clicked into place, the warrior taking a normal stance and smiling down at the boy. Gohan didn't take his smile for granted and withdrew his own weapon, sliding it back into its scabbard.

"_He's just how I remember him…"_ he thought, before nodding to Gohan. "I have no intention of fighting you or your friends. I'm just here on business. I need to speak with you and Goku," he continued in speech, turning to the spiky haired man in the orange and blue gi floating not too far away from them. Goku pointed at himself, blinking in surprise. Everyone was looking between the three, already confused.

"Me?" Goku responded. The grey haired warrior nodded.

"Yes, in private please…"

Goku shrugged and nodded, taking flight and following the boy he flew over to the other side of then craters formed by the attacks Frieza had launched. Gohan also followed a little later, wondering what was up with this. The Z-fighters floating up in the sky dropped down to ground level so that they were on their side of the crater, watching Goku and Gohan leave with the stranger. When they landed, they scattered and took up separate positions while staring over at the group.

"What do you think he wants to talk about guys?" Tien asked. Yamcha shrugged.

"Not sure, but whatever it is, it must be important…" the scarred baseballer replied. Krillin placed his hands on his hips and blinked, seeing the three warriors land a great distance away.

"Yeah. But man, did you see that fight before? Wow! I've never seen anyone finish Frieza that quickly except Gohan!" Krillin exclaimed. Piccolo nodded in agreement, extending his hearing over to the three warriors across the crater. Even though it stood mostly against everything he stood for, he wanted an ear on this too.

"You got that right, Krillin," the Namekian replied.

Goku, Gohan and the mysterious warrior landed, the three of them taking up positions so that they made up three corners of an equilateral triangle. The grey haired warrior smiled at them, turning around so that he was facing the right way. "Thanks guys, I really appreciate it…" Goku chuckled and placed his hands on his hips.

"Shoot, we should be thanking you for beating Frieza. We sure got out of that one with a clean slate there thanks to your help," Goku replied. Gohan just stared at the boy, keeping silent. Trunks just shrugged.

"It was nothing. Besides, I wanted a crack at that lizard ever since I heard about him, so I didn't miss a chance to step in," the warrior blankly replied with enthusiasm. "He's been tormenting you guys for far too long anyway. It's about time somebody put him out of his misery…" Goku tilted his head at the boy, his expression all a wonder.

"Hey, you look familiar. Have we met before?" the Saiyan asked. In response, the grey haired Saiyan's expression soured. He stared at Goku seriously and, in preparation, took a more tightened stance. This confused Goku since he didn't say anything hurtful or out of taste. Something must be wrong.

"Before I answer any of your questions, I need to gain your trust first. In return I shall give you mine," the warrior replied. Then, without any form of screaming or tensing, an aura shot up around the warrior, his hair raising, stiffening and flashing gold. His eyes also turned teal, with his ki taking a major jump. Goku was surprised to feel such a magnitude of ki at this close range, whereas Gohan just glared suspiciously.

"Transform Goku," the boy continued. "I want to see you turn into a Super Saiyan before I carry on any further…" Goku scowled suspiciously as well. However, sensing only a minority threat, he had no inclination of denying the warrior.

"Alright then…have it your way," Goku replied. Only tensing a bit without any real effort, Goku transformed. His golden aura exploded around him, appearing fast and fiercer then the other warrior's. His hair stood on end and flashed blond, and his eyes turned pure teal. When the transformation was complete, his aura evened out to become a gentle flame. Now Goku stood there in his full Super Saiyan glory. The Super Saiyan youth stared with admiration, nodding.

"Wow…man how awesome," he exclaimed brightly. "I forgot what it feels like from the outside in…" He then turned to Gohan, seeing the young Saiyan glaring up at him. The mysterious warrior smiled down at him, despite the negative expression he was receiving from the child. He had expected a reaction like this. "Can you transform, Gohan?"

Gohan furrowed his brow. But a moment later, he smirked; his Saiyan instincts kicking in. "Alright…but be warned, this will blow your mind…"

Without any effort whatsoever, Gohan transformed. At first it looked as though a hot wind was picking up underneath him. But suddenly, a huge aura exploded around him, sending a galling wind formation whipping around an area of 50 square meters. Trunks and Goku were immediately in states of shock, before Gohan even reached Super Saiyan. His power shot skywards at an incredible rate, bursting banks and barriers. He left the two other Super Saiyans stunned. Within seconds, Gohan had completed his transformation. Despite his relaxed state, his aura flared wildly around him. His eyes were a dark teal and were shining every time his aura made a warp past his nose. His hair had lengthened a bit and was standing on end, but was still held down by his head band. It didn't look much like Super Saiyan 3 hair because the points and strands were moving up and not down. To add to this, he had golden bolts of energy shooting out of his aura, with a light, radiation like glow of gold illuminating off of him. He was the only one of three with a golden, electricity formation. He looked so much cooler in Super Saiyan, but the power was far more incredible.

The Z-fighters on the other side of the crater who had been watching may have been astounded at the power they felt radiating off of Goku and the other Saiyan. But when Gohan transformed, it felt as though something had come up and smacked them clean in the face. Everyone was gaping with wide eyes at Gohan, seeing his aura shine and flare the brightest. Even Piccolo was astounded that his student was able to climb so high in power.

"What the heck!" Yamcha blurted.

"Gohan…!" Tien continued, that being the only thing he could say at the moment. Krillin gawked, blinking in disbelief.

"Look at him, hard core! What exactly are they up too?"

Piccolo's eyes wavered as he stared across at Gohan. _"After all this time, he decides to show his true colors now?"_ the Namek thought. It was at this did a smile cross his face. _"Typical Gohan. Always holding back to the right moment,"_ Piccolo exclaimed in his head. _"Guess that leaves more to be learnt from him…"_

Bulma was also blinking incredulously, Puar perched on her shoulder and sort of ducking behind her. "What in the world?"

"What are they doing?" Puar squeaked.

Vegeta scowled, jealousy overtaking him. Moments before they had just witnessed the mysterious warrior transform into a Super Saiyan, and were unable to feel its exact magnitude until now. But when there were three of them all powered up, the force they felt was indescribable. He tightened his fist, sweating a bit from what he felt. _"Darn it! How do they do it!? I've got to learn how!"_

Goku and the Saiyan that defeated Frieza were staring down at Gohan, seeing him smirking up at them. It was just then, after recovering from their shock at sensing the child's ki did Goku turn back to the other warrior. He saw him stare back in kind, smiling. The eldest Saiyan blinked. "We're exactly the same in appearances and power output…strange…"

The addressed Saiyan's smile then dropped to a scowl. "Now it's time to see who's the strongest…" Goku's eyes widened in surprise!

Suddenly, the warrior took a quick stance and grabbed the sword from behind him, making sure the sheath didn't accidentally flip over. With a pivot and a swift draw, the warrior let out a yell and charged at Goku. His aura flared at full strength as he flew at the Saiyan, ready to strike. Everyone gasped and watched to see what would happen. It was in that split second did the sword wielding warrior bring his weapon down to bear on Goku, the Saiyan preparing to move. However, just as the sword was within contact range, it suddenly stopped; a loud clang of metal upon metal sounding. The stopping force caused the warrior's aura to expand and burst outwards due to the energy exerted. From here, his aura continued to flare fiercely, with Goku standing just an inch away from the sharp blade of his sword.

The Super Saiyan growled through gritted teeth as he applied all his strength into his forward thrust that had just stopped. His two hands gripped his sword tightly, attempting to force his blade down. But then, he realized that it was being held back and he glanced down to his left. There, where Gohan was standing, he saw that the young Saiyan had his sword drawn, it's blade connected with his and in the way of the warrior's target. Gohan held his weapon in his right hand, holding it up with ease, a serious expression crossed over his face. He glared hotly at the warrior, who trembled where he floated as he tried to force his weapon down. Gohan prevented this from happening.

Failing at getting at Goku, the warrior then turned his attention to Gohan and began lashing out at him. Gohan moved his sword about and began blocking and parrying every single strike that was swung at him. His blade locked with his opponent's, metal clanging against metal. It was throughout this small duel Gohan didn't move an inch from his spot, his right arm doing all of the work, whereas his opponent was exerting so much speed, strength and effort into his attacks. But whatever strike he administered, Gohan met it with his own cold, hard steel. After a few more seconds of this lashing, the warrior finished off by bringing his sword up and, with a final yell, brought it straight down, directly for Gohan's head. The young Saiyan held his sword up, blocking the blade as it came down on him. Sparks flew due to this, and both their aura's collided. The result was the warrior's aura being beaten by Gohan's, but there were no adverse effects to this. Just as the warrior was applying further pressure onto Gohan without any luck, he suddenly pulled off and flung himself back at Goku, thrusting his sword down on him. Gohan didn't even bother to stop his opponent this time and just decided to see what would happen. He watched the sword came within two inches of his father before being stopped when the older Saiyan caught the blade between his index and middle finger. He bit and held it tightly, preventing Trunks from moving. After a few seconds had passed, Goku released, allowing the warrior to fall back into his original position. Landing several meters away, he looked back at his last target, Goku, seeing him standing there with a glare. Gohan had the same expression in play as he held his sword toward him threateningly.

He was right anyway. It was certain death to lock blades with Gohan…

Taking his place back on his part of the equilateral triangle, the warrior grunted and flung his sword up into the sky. With the moment, he powered down, aura vanishing and color returning back to normal. When he did, he had a big smile on his face. "Awesome…everything I heard about the two of you was true. You guys didn't even flinch, and yet it looks like you didn't even have to try…especially you, Gohan!" the warrior exclaimed. Goku and Gohan powered down as well, Gohan sliding his weapon into its sheath. At the same time, Trunks' sword came down from the skies, flying point blade down first. The warrior only had to move a bit, just so his scabbard was in line with his falling weapon. He caught it easily, allowing it to slide back into place. He then casually returned to a proper standing position, hands in his pockets.

The Saiyan smirked. "Boy I tell you…those same moves turned Frieza into cold cuts. Guess it would have to take a bit more effort to bring you guys down…" Gohan nodded in agreement, allowing a smile to sprout.

"Plus…you are armed with the strongest sword in the universe…" the child exclaimed, holding his hand out to him. "Can I see it…?"

Knowing what the boy meant, the warrior unsheathed his weapon and, without a word, tossed it over to Gohan. The young Saiyan caught the sword, taking it into his grip and bringing its blade about. Laying it onto his palm, he began checking out his own weapon. There were no cracks, dents, nicks or engravings placed upon it. There was no doubt that this was his. But how did he come across this? That was the question. The same claymore blade design, silver toned in with the shine and reflection of crystals. Its grip guard and Pommel were gold plated, and its steeply built Katana handle was still strapped with the same, black leather. It also felt to belong to him, only older. Gohan glared up at the warrior.

"Where did you get this…?" he asked. The warrior sighed and glanced down at the earth beneath his feet.

"Alright…I guess this is where I should start answering questions…" Goku nodded in agreement.

"I guess it is," he replied before asking. "Who exactly are you?"

The youth looked up. "Alright, I'll talk, but I can only let you in on this information so long as you keep it to yourselves and not tell the others. This could very well be harmful for my future and your future…" Goku and Gohan glanced at each other, a little bit confused. After a shrug, the two of them turned back to him.

"You have our word on it," Gohan continued. "So what do you have to share?"

"Cool. Listen, my name is Trunks. This is going to sound weird, but I'm actually not from this time. I traveled here 20 years from the future," the boy, now known as Trunks, said. Goku raised an eyebrow, whereas Gohan nodded in understanding.

"The future…gosh…" Goku said with a whistle. "I didn't even think time travel was possible…" Trunks shrugged.

"It's the hard work that goes into it that allows you to do so. Anyway, the reason I came back in time is because I have grave news to tell you. My being here is a great risk, but if we do this right then things will flow smoothly from here on in," Trunks said, lowering his head. "Listen carefully to this, the both of you. What I have to tell you is very important. In three years from now, on the morning of May 12th, on an island nine miles south-west of South City, at 10:00 o'clock in the morning, a horribly destructive duo will arrive and lay waste to everyone and everything in sight. They have incredible power, even by our standards. They're monsters! That's the best way to describe them…they're monsters…"

Goku narrowed his eyes in response to this news, same as Gohan. "What's the deal…are they aliens? Frieza again…twin brothers…what?" Goku questioned. Trunks looked up at him glumly.

"When I faced them, I only wished it was Frieza. But it…or they're not. You're close to one thing though, they are twins…brother and sister to be precise. They are both androids, created by Doctor Gero, the master mind behind the machines and technology used by the Red Ribbon Army. Do you remember?" Trunks queried. Goku looked surprised, but was more or less along the lines of puzzled.

"Yeah…I defeated them," Goku said. Gohan looked up at his dad before looking back towards Trunks, the warrior's sword in his hand.

"So, what happens in the future? Do we stop them on first encounter?" the Saiyan child asked. Trunks shook his head sadly.

"No. When the Z-fighters went out to face them, they were all killed the very first day. Even Super Saiyan Vegeta wasn't enough to stop them. He, Piccolo, Tien, Yamcha, Krillin and Chouzu…they were all killed! After that, so many innocent people have suffered at the hands of those two beasts!" Goku was astounded, and Gohan was in more shock then he had let himself on.

"T-That's terrible," Goku said. Trunks stared up at him, still saddened.

"It gets worse," he continued, making Gohan and Goku raise both eyebrows. Trunks sighed before going on. "You and Gohan never fight the androids. Both of you catch a deadly heart virus, an infectious disease that you caught on your trip to Namek that takes a while for the deadly effects to kick in. You, Goku, died before hand; whereas Gohan struggled on for thirteen more years to train me to become a Super Saiyan. He was in incredible pain; I was surprised he even lasted as long as he did. When he died, he mysteriously vanished. His body has been missing for four years. It was after his death I took his sword. It was strange, somehow the weapon never really…felt right to me. It never allowed me to use the attacks I saw Gohan do when he trained. You know…the blue energy slash…" Trunks expressed, glancing at Gohan and the sword he held.

Gohan nodded affirmatively, Goku turning to his son in puzzlement. "Yeah, the energy slash is one of my most effective moves. The reason why the sword doesn't suit you is because you are not the warrior to wield it. The sword chose me, because I'm meant to use it," Gohan explained. He held out Trunks' sword, but didn't mean to give it back to him. He just stared at the young warrior with narrowed eyes. "Because the weapon belongs to me, I'm afraid you can't have it back. But I'll gladly make you a new one…"

Trunks blinked in surprise. "B-But…why?" Gohan scowled.

"I already answered that question. But there is more to it then just my ownership. If you wield this sword then no luck, power or strength can be gained from it. If anyone else wields this, then it will be useless and untrustworthy. Best not to have a weapon that you can't rely on," Gohan stated. With that, he brought it back to him. Twirling it in his hand, holding out his right hand, he created a second sheath. The folds were traditional made and tightly bound. With a quick slide along its exterior, Gohan slowly shoved it in. The weapon clicked into place. When it was secured and fitted, the Saiyan child flung it around him and clipped it up, so that the two swords around him formed an 'X'.

Then, holding both of his hands out, Gohan sent his ki and concentrated into a mass. There was a long, flickering light, which measured to about a meter and a third across his palms. After five seconds, there was a light pop, followed by the appearance of a long, silver sword. This one was of basic, claymore design, but was light with a black handle, standard Pommel, long sword grip guard and a sharp, strong make exterior. At the creation of this new weapon, Gohan tossed the sword over to Trunks, who caught it in one hand and examined it. After a momentary scan, Trunks smiled and shoved his weapon into his sheath.

"Thanks, Gohan!" Trunks exclaimed. Gohan nodded.

"My pleasure, but what now?" Gohan asked. "Since me and my father obviously die in the future, you must have come back to offer us a solution!"

Trunks grinned. "Actually, I did," the warrior exclaimed, pulling out from his pocket what looked to be some sort of weapon. When he approached the pair of them, they were able to see what it really was. It was some sort of injector gun, fitted with a purple, liquid substance. After loading the, thing he held it up to them and smiled. "There's no real cure in this time for the heart virus, but there is in my time! These shots are tested and tried successfully as the perfect defense and cure. There are no long term or temporary damages to the blood stream or vessels, all it does is fuse with the cells in your body and kills any viruses it detects. There's nothing that can stop you guys now! Take these serums and you'll be fine" Trunks exclaimed.

Gohan smiled and nodded in understanding, relieved that there actually was a suitable cure. Goku however was skeptical. "Why does it have to be a needle…I hate needles!"

Trunks shrugged. "My mother knew you hated needles, so she passed these words on to me to give to you: 'tough luck, buddy'. After all, she always said it's been your nature. Anyway, you can take the shots now. It allows the cells to be enhanced before the virus enters your vital points of your circulatory system. You won't even know the cure is taking effect," Trunks said.

From here the two of them were given the shots. Gohan went first, showing his father that it didn't hurt. Goku eventually took it but was very hesitant. After both shots had been administered, Trunks gave them the injection gun and two more vials of purple liquid. He nodded to Gohan after he stored it in its capsule and put it in his pocket.

"Just in case any of the others catch the heart virus," Trunks said with a nod. "Alright, I guess that's all. Just keep these to yourselves guys, because this is going to change history!" he exclaimed happily. Goku and Gohan nodded affirmatively with smiles in place.

"Don't worry Trunks. We'll be sure to beat those androids when they come, you can count on it!" Gohan stated. Goku nodded.

"Yeah. We may want to tell everyone else about the androids, but we'll keep the other parts to ourselves, alright," the Son father continued. Trunks nodded in agreement, having no objection to that. But then Goku's face turned to one of curiosity and surprise. "Hang on…didn't you say that your mother knows us? Who exactly are your parents?"

Gohan also hinted onto this and took another dive into Trunks' ki. After careful examination of his ki signature and outward appearance, he got quite a bit of a surprise. A bead of sweat ran down the side of his head, his eyes blinking, as if trying to adjust his sight. When he compared the two faces in his head, he had no doubts that these two were his parents.

Trunks chuckled and grinned, blushing a bit with embarrassment. "Ugh…you may also want to keep this information to yourself as well; otherwise I may not be born. You see…my father is Vegeta and my mother…well…" Trunks cleared his throat and then pointed over Goku's shoulder. "She's standing right over there…"

Goku immediately burst out laughing and fell over backwards, rolling around on the ground and clutching his gut. Trunks and Gohan stared down at Goku oddly, sweat drops running down from their foreheads. The Z-fighters on the other side of the crater were a little bit surprised when they saw their friend fall over and hear him laughing out loud. Piccolo nearly fell over when he heard what was said. Goku looked up at Trunks with a slight red face. "Bulma's your mother…!?"

Trunks shrugged, still a little embarrassed. "Yeah…she and my father get together sometime in the near future. I'll be born in two years from now." Gohan smirked, crossing his arms and nodded.

"Vegeta's going to be a dad…well I'll be," the Saiyan child exclaimed while Goku got back to his feet.

Trunks nodded to them and turned on his heel. "I've got to get going now guys. My mom will be worried sick if I'm gone for too long," Trunks said, waving to the two Saiyans. "You two take care, and good luck." Goku, after clearing himself up, smiled as well as nodded to him, just as Gohan had done.

"You too Trunks. Keep safe now, alright," Goku said. Trunks nodded affirmatively to the two of them. He then looked back to the Z-fighters on the other side of the crater. After one last good look at Bulma and Vegeta, he smiled, waved and then dashed away. Powering up, he took off into the distance. The Z-fighters standing some ways away saw him wave good-bye, but were surprised that he didn't have any last words to say.

Gohan smiled after the grey haired Saiyan, his two swords strapped around him securely. Before Trunks was completely out of sight, he silently spoke…

"_Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The spirit is to grow strong by conflict…"_

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	15. Z Warriors Prepare

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Z-Warriors Prepare_

Goku sighed and turned to his son, seeing him still staring off into the distance. When the child eventually turned to Goku, his father nodded to him with a smile and thumbed over to the others waiting on the other side of the large crater.

"Come on son, we'd best tell the others the news," Goku said. His son nodded in agreement. Adjusting the weapons around him so that they were comfortably slung, he joined his father in stride before the two of them flew over the crater to meet up with the others. Vegeta and the others watched as their friends drifted down from overhead, coming to land softly in front of the entire group.

"So," Yamcha began, shrugging. "What did that guy want to talk to you about?"

Bulma crossed her arms, giving the two a very odd look. "It must have been very important to leave us out of it," she continued.

"Yeah, and what was the whole going Super Saiyan thing?" Krillin asked. Goku and Gohan looked around at everyone, seeing them giving them the eyes and ears treatment. They were all open to hear what they had to say. Goku rubbed the back of his head, raising an eyebrow.

"Uhh…hmm…how can I put this delicately…umm?" the Saiyan furrowed, scratching his chin and looking down. Piccolo sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Obviously, some people don't know how to rationalize important news. Honestly Goku," the Namek said, glancing over at the spiky haired warrior. "You seriously need to pay more attention to detail…" Goku looked at the green fighter, same as everyone else.

"W-What?" the Son father stammered. Gohan glanced up at his father, arms crossed and a smile on his face.

"Dad, Namekians have very sharp hearing. What Piccolo is trying to say is that he heard everything that was said back during our conversation with that guy," the child stated. Piccolo looked at the two of them and nodded, whereas the Z-fighters stared at Piccolo in surprise.

"You can let me tell the others what they need to know Goku. You can count on me not to say anything that will endanger your friend," the Namek stated, after everyone got the message of his incredible hearing. Goku nodded, whilst Gohan went to stare off in some other direction, his mind consciously absent and left to wander his subconscious mind.

Vegeta scowled at the Namek. "Well, what have you got to share with us green bean? Surely it concerns all of us…" Piccolo glared over at the prince. He was considering shutting his yap once and for all, but took note of the prince's ki level. Instead of venting out on Vegeta, he turned to the others and calmed, before carrying on.

"Listen up everyone. The young man Goku and Gohan was talking with came from the future, about twenty years ahead of our time," the Namek stated. All those who didn't know this were bewildered none to say the least, including Bulma. After this information was passed down, Piccolo took his queue and continued. "In three years from now, on the morning of May 12th, on an island nine miles South-West of South City at ten o'clock in the morning, two killer androids created by a maniacal fiend named Dr. Gero will arrive. These machines have the capability of laying waste to everything, which unfortunately also includes us. The warrior said that everyone except Gohan and Goku die in the battle with the androids. Goku never actually fights them since he dies of a lethal heart virus. Gohan catches the same virus but manages to hang on for 13 more years before dying. It was because of his weakened state he was unable to defeat the androids but trained the warrior who you saw today. The young man from the future intervened, and came back in time to warn us and give Gohan and Goku the cure to the virus."

Krillin blinked a few times as he, like everybody else, processed the information directed towards him. After finally hearing the story given to them through Piccolo, the monk raised an eyebrow and placed his hands on his hips.

"Tsk…well what do you know? Old times coming back to haunt us," Krillin exclaimed. Bulma crossed her arms and pouted, glaring down at her feet.

"I thought those Red Ribbon guys were beat already. Guess I was wrong," the blue haired scientist said with a sigh. Yamcha furrowed his brow as he glared at the ground. He felt like spewing in disgust.

"And talk about bad luck. We die in the future, all thanks to being undermanned and unprepared," the fighter spat. He kicked at the earth. "Damn…"

Tien turned to his friend. "Hey, there's no need for any negative attitudes at this point Yamcha. Now that we are aware of this chain of unfortunate events, we'll be able to counter against it!" Chouzu saw to his friend's plan and grinned.

"Yeah!" he exclaimed happily. "We'll be able to take them down now, and not meet a grim fate!"

Piccolo glanced at the two of them. "Hey, let's not forget we're dealing with a master mind here. One man…it only took one man to find a way to kill us all. We'll have to prepare ourselves for the androids' arrivals. And when I mean prepare, I mean extreme training and hard hours. It may be smooth sailing from here for the rest of the world, but for us, the rough times are just getting started. So if you think you can just skip out on this, think again…"

Vegeta smirked over at the Namek. "Now hold on there Namek, I don't think we put you in charge of this little enterprise…"

Piccolo turned on the Saiyan Prince, expression hardened with anger. "Are you challenging me Vegeta!!!?" The Prince just grunted confidently and turned his back on him.

"Please, that would be a waste of my time. Besides, it wouldn't be much of a challenge anyway," the prince said, easily getting on Piccolo's bad side. The Namek let out a growl and began to walk towards the prince. Fortunately for Vegeta, Gohan happened to be standing in front of Piccolo in between him and Vegeta. When the green warrior began to make his approach, he was stopped by his student when the Saiyan child held his hand up as a signal to halt. Piccolo did so, and reconsidered his thoughts of retaliation.

"Piccolo's right," Gohan continued. "We'll need all the training and help we can get. Getting stronger to surpass these androids is our only option…"

Goku nodded in agreement and held his right fist up. "Then it's settled. Everyone take up old habits! We're going into a new adventure now guys," the Saiyan stated. Vegeta found his little display of support for the matter a little childish and so ignored him. The rest of the Z-fighters however found his talk quite illuminating.

Bulma placed her hands on her hips and shrugged, giving her hand suggestion gestures. "Well, I think I can contribute some to this plan. I have no objections to any of you using my GR's. Use them as you please, but don't destroy them," the scientist said. Yamcha, Krillin, Goku and Gohan nodded, whereas the others had other things in mind.

With a final glare back at the others, Vegeta powered up and took off without another word. The Z-fighters watched the prince soar off into the distance, wondering what had recently gotten under his skin. When they realized that Vegeta was more of an enigma then anyone else, they dropped everything off him out of mind and turned back to the rest of the lot. Goku smiled.

"So we all know what we have to do. Train and get stronger. Hey Krillin," Goku exclaimed, turning to his friend. "Would you like to come and train with me and Gohan? I could use with a couple of training partners." Krillin shook his head and just smiled.

"No thanks Goku. I think it'd be best if I trained with Master Roshi. I don't think I'd be able to keep up with you guys," he replied. Goku nodded.

"Alright, if you say so," Goku said, turning to his next candidate. "What do you say Piccolo? Maybe…you could consider a partnership on this one…" Piccolo shrugged.

"Sure. It's not like I've got better plans. I'll train with you…" the Namek replied. Goku grinned, delighted to hear that at least one of his friends could train with him. Gohan was rarely around anyway when troubles were to arise and needed to be solved.

Tien and Chouzu waved to the remainder of the group. "Good luck guys. We'll see you in three years…"

"See yah later!" Chouzu exclaimed. With that, the two of them powered up and took off towards the mountains. Krillin had taken leave just like Tien and Chouzu, and left bound for Kame House.

"I'll be seeing you guys soon. Train hard okay!" Yamcha said loudly with a wave, dashing across the desert before taking off as well. His form and aura disappeared into the distance, vanishing from sight seconds later.

Bulma sighed. Taking out one of her capsules, she threw it over to some open space where it exploded into a white, Capsule Corp Heli-jet. As soon as she hopped in, she started up the engine.

"Honestly, some people have absolutely no consideration for others!" the scientist growled, referring to how she was just left behind. With Puar sitting beside her, the woman lifted off and, after adjusting altitude and course heading, shot off towards West City. Her jet rocketed into the distance.

Goku and Piccolo then turned to Gohan, seeing the child standing rather distant from them and staring off into the distance. Judging by from the child's ki level and energy pulses, the two could tell that something was bothering him. Finding this quite a turn around for his son, Goku took a step towards him, holding his hand out in mid concern.

"Hey Gohan, what's wrong?" the Son father asked. Gohan turned around so that he faced both Goku and Piccolo. When he saw their stares of concern, he smiled and just nodded to them.

"I'm fine dad. You two go on ahead, I've got some other business to attend to elsewhere. I'll catch up with you later," Gohan reassured them.

Gohan's father and Piccolo looked at each other. After an exchange of shrugs, the two looked back at the Saiyan child.

"Alright then, but don't be gone for too long," Goku said. Gohan smiled and turned around. Powering up, his blue aura exploded around him in wild fury. With both swords strapped securely around him and his tail waving freely, he shot up into the sky. After gaining the necessary height, he then flew off towards the horizon.

After watching Gohan leave, Goku and Piccolo then took off as well, on route for Mount Paoz. Piccolo had his mind fully focused on the training they would have to go through, whereas Goku had his concerns lodged onto the image of his wife. What would Chi-Chi have to say about this?

* * *

And that's how it would be like for the next three years. All the Z-fighters headed their separate ways, with plans of hard training and less hanging out. Now it was the time to get serious. 

Everyone had their assigned places to go, even Vegeta. Yamcha decided that he would spend more time at the Capsule Corp gym then anywhere else for his training, although the others recommended a much more convenient mode of training. He felt that it was first thing he had set on his mind, strength building.

When Goku got home, with Piccolo waiting outside, he told his wife the bad news. She took it quite well, if you could call a hell of a lot of screaming a good reaction to bad news. After an hour of arguing, Goku left with Piccolo to start their training.

Krillin met with Master Roshi, immediately without a second thought, taking up permanent residence on the island. Now using the old turtle hermit's island as his base of operations, as well as the perfect place to train without having to worry about outside interference, he set to work. Somehow, he began having thoughts that perhaps training with Goku was a much better idea.

Tien and Chouzu continued their training as usual in the mountains, using the wide open areas and sub-zero temperatures as perfect endurance and strength training. Chouzu had to improve on his sparring and strength building. Since his psychic abilities were already strong enough, he didn't need any work on anything to do with manipulative techniques. Tien went through everything there was possible, working up the charts in preparation for the day of reckoning.

Vegeta continued his training at Capsule Corp, hitting the GR and setting it at the highest levels possible. He believed that in order to break past barriers, he had to reach them first. His limitations were his weaknesses, even though he showed little. Bulma would occasionally sit in on his training sessions, and was always there whenever he needed medical attention.

Right after the group had left the deserts, Gohan had set a course for the area in which he had his mind set on. Soon enough, he reached his quiet, thinking spot: the high, hill top point that overlooked the wide valleys and oceans. It was one of the two places he went too to meditate and train his mind. It was here he planted the sword of his future self, the sheath laid down in front of it. After planting the sword underneath the nearby tree, Gohan bowed his symbolic bow, right palm in left fist, in respect for his future, fallen self. From here, he went on to meditating out on the very top of the hill, floating several feet off the ground and casting aside all his thoughts. He would remain there for the next few hours…

* * *

_**Days later…**_

_**Capsule Corp GR**_

Vegeta was setting new records. Zipping through the wide, round, pressurized room of the GR, the Saiyan Prince was training hard, not holding back anything as he pushed himself to his limits. The entire interior of the chamber had red lighting, meaning that it was at a dangerously high level. But the prince didn't heed this warning as he trained at 300 times normal earth gravity. It was pretty high for everyone else's' liking, but for Vegeta it was something he had to overcome.

Standing propped up, feet spread to shoulder width apart and guard up. From here, he flung punches through the air, all swift, powerful and precise. His speed was limited to that of a human's, his muscles throbbing as he fought against the mass pulling down on him. Veins bulged and sweat flowed down his skin freely. Because he only wore a pair of blue, spandex shorts, most of him was exposed. But he didn't care. The lack of clothes allowed him to train freely without any limitations whatsoever. The battle scars he wore were a reminder of his past life.

Clawing at himself to stay upright, Vegeta growled with each punch, his face scrunched up with concentration and hard focus. His teeth gritted tightly, and his fists tightened. Using all the strength he could, Vegeta powered up and leapt into the air. He began attempting a hovering exercise under the weighted conditions. From here, he started spinning around like a clock handle, moving slowly at first before picking up the speed. When the stress became too overwhelming, he returned to a correct, upright position. From here, he began sparring in mid-air, throwing punches and kicks of all sorts.

Watching closely from the observation room beside the GR, Bulma and Yamcha were watching him closely. Yamcha tried not to seem impressed, whereas Bulma was watching on with admiration. Her gaze was a bit off dazed, but it was obvious she liked what she was seeing. Her ex-boyfriend beside her gave her an odd glance before turning back to watching Vegeta train.

"_Man…how does he do it?"_ Yamcha thought begrudgingly, a sweat drop leaking down the side of his head.

* * *

_**Meanwhile…**_

_**On Kame Island**_

Krillin stood firmly in the shallows with his fists balled at his side and dropped in a powering up stance. The small waved rippling into the island crashed round him, leaving him soaked to the knees. He didn't let it get to him though. The monk retained his stance in the water, glaring out onto the horizon over the ocean. The clouds hung high and the sky shone a brilliant blue. It was a perfect day with perfect weather. And now, it was time for training.

Cupping his hands, Krillin brought them behind him, his feet shifting so to adjust to his sideward stance. Gritting his teeth, the monk concentrated his energy and raised it, bit by bit, drawing strength and powering up his attack. Without even bothering to bring about the ball of blue energy that usually hovered in his grasp, Krillin gritted his teeth and growled low. The water began to ripple at his feet, becoming increasingly more violent and rough. The ripples formed splashing like formation that burst outwards, rising and rising. Krillin then began to chant the words that were so familiar to everyone.

"KAAAAaaaaa…MEEEEeeeee…HAAAaaaaaa…MEEEeeeee…!"

"Hey Krillin!" a voice suddenly called out. Krillin stopped abruptly, his energy declining.

Glancing over his shoulder, the bald headed fighter saw Master Roshi sitting on a fold out bench, lying in the sun underneath an umbrella. It must be one hell of a life to be living on a secluded island in the middle of the ocean, no work, no one to bother, nothing! For the old cook-bird, he sure enjoyed his life on his island. He grinned and waved over to Krillin, waving a couple of magazines about.

"Why don't you give it a rest for a while!" the old turtle hermit shouted. "You're going to wear yourself out if you keep this up! Come and read some magazines! I've got the new issues of '_Nudist Frolics', 'Naked Truth' _and the_ 'Bareback News'_ if you're interested!"

Krillin blinked a couple of times before turning back to the ocean. Re-focusing on the task at hand, Krillin kicked his energy back into action. This time, he had no trouble in bringing out the amount that he needed. The ball of energy reformed in his hand and shone brilliantly. The very force it produced shook the ocean beneath him. A tornado of energy formed around him, picking up the water and turning the whirlwind around him into a water spout. Streams of water ran up it, creating a cool, energy productive effect.

"MEee…HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaa!!!" Krillin yelled, completing his attack. With a quick, pivot motion, he threw both hands forward and unleashed his attack. Two massive tidal waves were formed as the beam sliced into the water and hurled itself across the surface. It split the sea directly in two, sending water everywhere. The splash back was also an intense wave, sending a thick cloud of mist falling onto the island.

Master Roshi received much of the splash back as well. His sun umbrella did little to protect him. "Cut that out Krillin!" he shouted. "You're getting my magazines all wet!!!"

Krillin ignored him, still standing in his firing position with his hands out, water continuing to rain down on him.

* * *

_**Elsewhere…**_

Tien and Chouzu had begun their training with a simple, light exercise. It was a easy precision practice session, where one fighter would direct his attacks towards a certain target, but would carve a nice gap around it and would not actually destroy the thing he was focused on. At the stuttering of Chouzu, Tien asked for his friend to take up his position in front of a large formation of limestone pushing itself up out of the sea. Their training grounds had been moved to the coast, just for a little intake of sea air.

Shivering where he stood, arms and legs spread out, the small fighter gulped as he watched Tien take his position. Chouzu was wide eyed, and a little nervous.

"T-Tien…?"

The tri-clops took a stance, focusing his energy around the centre. "Ready!" he shouted. Chouzu nodded.

"Y-Yeah…"

Then, it began. Moving his energy throughout his body, harnessing small pieces of it and at the same time gathering it through use of this stance out manipulation, Tien proceeded. He moved through the stances, palms remaining open and the steps taken done in the exact order he had practiced it in. Then, he stopped, left hand held up and eyes focusing completely on Chouzu, his target. With it placed in sight, he let out a long, monotone growl which grew in volume as he brought his energy down into his right hand. Chouzu sensed the overwhelming amount of ki rising with the fighter, and gulped for what he hoped wasn't his last.

After a brief lock on, focus move, Tien fired away. Throwing his right hand forward, the tri-clops unleashed a volley of powerful, golden energy disks. The attacks zipped through the air like bullets but in splendid, visible fashion. Moving at high speeds across the ground, it covered the 500 meters easily, before impacting with Chouzu's position. The little fighter let out a terrified scream as he was consumed by the attacks that hammered away at the rocks and flew on, several of them exploding at the exact positions they were aimed for. Clouds of smoke and dust rose, blocking all view of what was occurring.

A complete barrage of over 50 blasts had been launched. When it was finally over, Tien finished by moving his hands up and around him as if tracing butterfly wings before bringing his hands down, taking a steady breath and relaxing his ki. Looking back, he watched as the cloud of dust settled. When it did, he saw cleanly through towards the ocean's horizon, and the very target he had been aiming around at this distance. Chouzu was still alive, but standing in a cleanly cut outline of himself of what was left of the limestone rock. The sea waves crashed behind him, soaking him anew, even though he was already drenched with sweat. Tien raised an eyebrow, smirking.

Chouzu stammered, all limbs trembling.

"N-Not bad…T-Tien…"

Whatever was left of the limestone behind him cracked, split and crumbled into a pile of rocky debris. The remains fell into the sea. This left Chouzu standing where he was, frozen and shocked…

* * *

_**Up near the Son residence…**_

Chi-Chi, who had just finished washing the clothes in the laundry, was busy hanging them up on her line. Stringing the cords from the wall of her home to the trees, she hung up the sheets and clothes one by one. The articles blew in the steady breeze she felt flowing in from the mountains, humming to herself. Happily finding some quiet and comfort in her duties, she allowed herself some time to break free of the crazy antics that usually occurred around her home. However it would not have been complete if it wasn't for the nearby storm of energy across the river and in the plains.

Hearing the rhythmical pounding of sonic booms and shock waves, Chi-Chi took a glance around one of her towels, her eyes staring off into the valleys beyond the bridge across the river. Blinking in surprise, the woman saw a series of invisible explosion appear in the sky, one following the other. They appeared quite fast, but didn't pack the amount of ferocity and strength you would expect to see coming off of two, battling super powers. Judging from the amount and vibrations coming to her through the earth, the Son mother believed it was her husband and his green friend fighting. She still considered Piccolo an untrustworthy friend.

She sighed. "Men…what else do you expect…" She turned back to her work.

Out on the fields, right underneath the spar taking place, you could see two blurs popping in and out of sight. One of which was a man dressed in orange and blue. The second was the green Namek dressed in purple. Both of them were working hard, their shouts evident over the racket they were creating. Flashing in and out of super speed, both combatants hammered away at each other, focusing all their base power into this duel and pushing their training to their limits. It was hard work, and you could see that.

Flashing out of super speed, Piccolo turned around and, on instinct, fired a orange ki blast straight into the air space meters away. The attack ripped through the air, hitting nothing and disappearing into the distance. However, what it did do was drive the particular fighter out of hiding. Materializing just a foot away from the path of the blast, Goku appeared, surprised none to say the least at what proximity he actually was to his opponent's attack. After seeing the beam die out, Goku growled and glared at Piccolo. Without a second thought, he dashed him, intent on locking him in a charge.

Piccolo backed up, taking the defensive. In a split second, Goku came at him with a powerful right punch. The attack connected with the Namekian's parry, the resounding shock waves kicking at the skies. Goku followed up this attack with a deadly combination of kicks and punches, these ones forcing Piccolo back ever so slowly through the air. Both of them growled with each and every effort put into the littlest of offensive and defensive techniques. Goku had Piccolo on the ropes, his fists pounding into Piccolo's arms. Then after putting a significant amount of force into putting Piccolo back, Goku came in with a fast combination of two punches, both of which Piccolo parried away, but was unable to block the hook that came afterwards. This was closely followed by an elbow across the face, the blow staggering the Namek. Gaining altitude, Goku then rammed a left roundhouse kick and then a right kick across Piccolo's face. The deadly combination that would have killed a normal man sent Goku's opponent flying through the sky, tumbling and spinning out of control, a trail of purple blood following the green fighter.

Goku smirked, throwing his right hand back and fisting it. Moving forward for extra momentum boost, the Saiyan threw his right hand forward in diagonal fashion. There was a quick zip and a burst of energy as Goku flung a golden energy ball chasing after his target. Piccolo was quick to recover. Tucking himself into a ball, Piccolo spun and halted himself, fists at his sides and a firm stance in place. When he saw the energy ball flying towards him, he braced himself. Putting energy into his right hand, the Namek waited for the attack to get close enough. The energy ball hooked left, flying at incredible speeds. Piccolo was ready. With a quick hand, Piccolo caught the sizzling ball in his right hand, which was protected by a resistance field. After a brief glance, Piccolo growled and cranked his right hand back. Like tossing a base ball, he threw the attack straight at Goku, who was flying towards him.

The Saiyan did a loop through the air, barely avoiding the attack and crossing his arms over his chest. Picking up speed, he hurled himself at his opponent. Piccolo prepared, taking a stance. When Goku was in striking range, the Namek leapt into the air, back flipping over his opponent at the same time Goku flung a hammer throw. When Goku realized his target was no longer in sight, he began a ki search. This slow reaction proved to be his downfall when he was struck in the back by Piccolo's powerful flip kick. Letting out a yell, Goku plummeted from the force, heading straight for the valley below.

Not wanting to lose that easily, Goku threw his energy down, stopping himself before hitting the ground. He halted sharply, arms and legs out with all muscles tensed. Letting out a low growl, Goku quickly spun round and flew straight up again. With a yell, he charged Piccolo. The Namek did the same, both of them letting out simultaneous battle cries before engaging in another fist fight. Their elbows collided, sounding a powerful shock wave that shook the skies and earth. It was after which they both zapped out of sight, disappearing into super speed again.

Explosions ripped through the air, hinting that another unseen spar was at hand. Things were certainly looking up for them.

* * *

_**Meanwhile…**_

_**Somewhere in the mountains**_

Skies weren't the only things that were ripping with the ferocity of an intense training session.

The vast, icy valleys strung by frozen vines, accompanied by the distant cottage and the torn up castle provided one particular fighter with all the training he needed. Out here he was unbounded by limitations, thanks to the absence of man and animal. His ki was completed shielded by the spiritual energies that surrounded and guarded the sacred place. The cold was also dangerously low, reaching that of an Antarctic blizzard at night. It was completely deserted. The very ranges that protected this valley blocked all trespassers, with the rigged paths preventing anyone from reaching this place. The cloud cover above also concealed it, with some sunlight managing to break through.

The ground shook and trembled before a line of fiery explosions trailed across an open area. Debris flew everywhere as the balls of yellow, fiery energy erupted, like machine gun bullets riddling a wall. The sounds they made was loud, and the force they possessed were incredibly violent. When it cleared, leaving a dissipating cloud of smoke, a figure materialized out of thin air.

Wearing only his gi pants, weighted training wrist and ankle bands, Gohan was hard at work. Pivoting on the spot under the strain of the three ton weights, the Saiyan child glared towards the distant ridges of the valley. You could see all his battle scars, past and present. One had set itself right across his lower back, a second, smaller one across his right chest peg and a left, cross-hatched scar at his lower side. All of these were inflicted by past battles with infamous villains. His wounds adored him like trophies. Then there was also his build. It had improved so much since you last saw him. His body was built like an athlete's, crossed with martial arts and body building. He was toned out fine.

The new scars he wore were recently inflicted. This being the case of the furious spar he was having with himself…literally.

Glaring with teeth bared, Gohan saw a figure appear out of no where, hovering several meters above the ground in a jumping stance. The character whom he was fighting was actually him, an exact double but with no sword, just his gi. He wore the same white, traditional style gi top with long sleeves, black gi trousers, martial arts shoes and waste bang. The copy didn't have a head band, giving indication that Gohan had discarded it long ago.

The copy was only scene for a brief moment before it suddenly flashed out of view. Suddenly, there was a chain reaction of rising energy, followed by the sudden appeared of ki shards. The blue shards appeared out of nowhere and fell to the ground like regular falling objects. But as soon as they struck the ground, they exploded like napalm. The trail of fire charged straight for Gohan, the ground exploding with the trail, rubble and debris flying everywhere.

Baring witness to the trail of fire, Gohan took a hard stance, watching the wall of bellowing flames heading towards him. With a low growl, Gohan flung both his hands out and unleashed a powerful ball of blue energy. The attack grew in size, becoming large enough that by the time the napalm trail hit him, it was forced back by the equaling energy and force of the produced attack. After brief impacts of flame against energy, Gohan fired the attack, a powerful blast rattling up the fire and tearing it apart. The energy blast soared skywards, disappearing seconds later. The fiery explosions that had charged Gohan before, which he dubbed as his _Flamethrower_ attack, had dissipated, leaving only chard remains of vines and torn up earth.

Growling and looking from left to right, Gohan began to seek out his opposite. When he eventually spotted his ki, he was a little too slow to react when a series of golden energy blasts came raining down from the skies above. The copy was quick, and had just fired off Gohan's _Scattered Volley Shot_. The rain of missile like attacks, consisting of twelve of these, plummeted straight for Gohan at top speed. The Saiyan knew he had to get out before he was mercilessly hammered. So, powering up, he made a break for it, flying straight forward. At the same time, he shifted from left to right as a precaution as the attacks came raining down on him. The attacks tore up the ground, creating a massive explosion that sent dust and debris everywhere. Once he was sure he had gotten away, Gohan landed, after which he forward flipped and landed so that he had faced the way he came.

When he saw the cloud of smoke bellowing out of the recent crater that had been punched into the ground, Gohan scowled. He would have to repair these foundations later, but first he had to dispense with his double.

Suddenly, the smoke parted and, shooting out of the black essence came the Gohan copy. With a loud yell, Copy-Gohan flew directly at the original, sending a powerful hook across Gohan's face. The Saiyan child was flung back from the force of the blow, blood spilling out as he flew along. The Copy-Gohan pursued, grinning with his blue aura warped up around him.

Getting a grip on himself, the original Gohan pulled himself out of his flight path and began back-flipping across the valley. When he had gained full control over his momentum, he flipped back upright and skidded across the ground. The icy fields allowed him to slide across, friction now unable to stop him. While he was slicing, Gohan threw his right hand back and then forward, pitching a blue ball of energy at his opponent. The Gohan-Copy leapt out of the way, avoiding the attack which struck elsewhere. The copy then flew on.

Skidding to a stop, Gohan picked up where he left off and sprinted forward at super speed, zipping across the frozen valley and leaping at his opponent. With a yell, Gohan hooked right and came at his opponent from his left flank. Copy-Gohan predicted this movement and turned, ready to face his equal. From here, the two locked in a heated engagement of flying fists and kicks. The flurry of attacks was unaccountable. It was intense and fast, shockwaves repeatedly rebounding off of them. Blows struck home, but the original Gohan received most of the punishment as he was limited by the weights he wore, and was actually beating up himself.

The fact that there were two Gohan's added more to the enigma of Gohan's soul, body and abilities. It is true that Gohan had the ability to copy himself, but he had the capability of using more then just one body split technique. Tien's technique is the ability to split his body up equally, but because of it, his power is divided. The result of a battle could vary, but this technique would make little difference. Gohan could do the same thing. Another body split technique was one Gohan used through a physical-cross-spiritual bond. He is able to split his body up to about ten times, but with a twist. Each and every one of the split forms of the original Gohan has the same amount of energy and strength as the original, whole being. This is what is meant by the creation of copies. However, the copy Gohan is fighting now is mostly for training purposes. Through the creation of this copy, the young Saiyan adds a full body bond with it. It acts like a voodoo doll, whatever damage it suffers, Gohan suffers. It is through this method the original Gohan fells more pain and receives more damage then ever. So it is easy to assume that after this session, he would need a hell of a lot of rest.

The fight carried both Gohan and his copy up into the skies, both of them still locked in a furious battle. After reaching an altitude where they were barely visible, they suddenly kicked away from each other before vanishing into super speed.

Shock waves began to ring out, streaking across the skies and ground. More force craters were formed, as well as cracks and crevasses. You could see the trails of invisible explosions, but it was impossible to see the two fighters because they were going at such high speeds. It was no wonder someone can get so strong so quickly. And in spite of all the damages, they never brought the fight even close to the castle.

After a super speeded battle that raged on for several more minutes, it was soon brought into a almost climactic finish. Appearing out of thin air, the original Gohan powered up an attack. His right hand lit up with a blue ball of energy, surrounded by golden electricity. Bringing it about, he threw it forward while flying backwards through the air. The attack soared down in a blue. Suddenly, Copy-Gohan appeared, a bit battered and bruised with a bleeding lip, but was relatively okay. When he saw the attack fly towards him, he powered up. A field of aura appeared around him, the energy ball striking but shattering on impact. It was knocked aside like it was nothing. Now that the path was clear, Copy-Gohan prepared to launch another assault. Throwing his right hand forward, he unleashed a barrage of blue energy balls that flew at Gohan at high speeds.

The original Saiyan also threw his left hand forward and unleashed his own barrage, these ones being blue energy blasts, regular by standard. He continued firing, even if he was ruthlessly pounded by Copy-Gohan's attacks. Copy-Gohan was also bombarded, but continued flying at his counterpart, firing off attacks mercilessly without feeling any pain. Gohan was the one who felt rushes of the pain. It flowed through him like the energy he produced, growls of agony surfacing. But no matter what he felt, he continued attacking. In the skies you could see one figure approaching another, streaks of gold and blue flying through the air toward either side like an exchange of missiles and bullets. It was not to last.

Seconds later, Copy-Gohan vanished, disappearing into thin air. The battle worn Gohan growled and looked around, attempting to find his opponent. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain jab into his back when he was sent plummeting by a down-ward hammer fist strike from his copy. Gohan fell like a bomb, unable to stop and spiraling out of control. Within moments, he made contact, forming a huge crater and sending dust into the air. The earth shook with his landing.

Shaking and trembling in the crater, completely exhausted, Gohan staggered back up, one eye shut with the other one open. Through a blurry vision, he looked over to the edge of the crater. There, he saw his copy land, arms crossed and glaring down at him. This made the original Gohan cringe with anger and frustration. He needed to get stronger in order to beat himself.

The slightly damaged copy grunted, uncrossing his arms and fisting his hands at his sides, yet still keeping an ordinary stance. Then, there was a flash of golden light as the copy Gohan transformed into a Super Saiyan. The aura warped fiercely around him, accompanied by a golden electric field. The original Gohan growled as he got to his feet. With his strength slowly returning, he took a stance in the crater, watching the monotone copy glare at him through teal eyes. After a few quick breaths, the original Saiyan growled and gritted his teeth. His energy rose dramatically, with a blue aura suddenly springing up around him. It was amazing. He refused to go Super Saiyan. It was this show of force did the Super Saiyan copy raise an eyebrow too.

"BRING IT OOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNN!!!" the original Gohan roared…

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	16. A Brother's Revenge

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_A Brother's Revenge_

_**Somewhere out on a distant valley**_

It has been four months since the mysterious youth named Trunks had foretold the day of reckoning, one that would surely determine the fate of all the Z-fighters. It was recently dubbed the _Android Apocalypse,_ since a couple of the Z-fighters liked to call it. Unfortunately, that fate meant sure death and destruction that would prove disastrous for the whole planet. In light of this news, neither member of the valiant Z-team was willing to die at the hands of androids. To this day, they continued to train, and barely stopped to rest for even two hours. Several members followed this rule. Well, all those who were more determined than others. Gohan, Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo and Tien were perhaps the only ones who trained the hardest.

Speaking of which, one of the Z-Team members happened to be training at this very moment, but not in the physical sense. It was out here in the middle of Mother Nature herself that Gohan had taken the advantage of some quiet meditation. The fresh air and silence was overwhelming, so he couldn't resist the chance to focus on strengthening his mind and getting in touch with his inner spirit again.

A waterfall careered down the side of a 30 foot cliff and into a cooling lake below, vapor rising into the air as a result of the crashing water. This formation was situated on the edge of a forest and valley. Trees looped around from the forest, spreading outwards with its expansion, keeping the waterfall within it. The grass grew freely and was remarkably short, providing good sitting ground. The entire area was untouched. That mattered a great deal to Gohan.

Floating in front of the waterfall, not too close though, the young Saiyan meditated. His legs were crossed and his hands were placed on his lap. His eyes were closed and his breathing was normal. A lone tree somewhere on the edge of the lake at the point where it escaped into a winding river, gave Gohan the spot to put his clothes. His white, gi top remained folded at the base of the trunk with his shoes and socks placed beside it. Accompanying these were his wrist and ankle weights, as well as his red sash, sword, brown bag of Senzu beans and another brown bag of herbs. He had lately discovered the use of herbs in outdoor made tea quite useful and tasty, so he always carried a small amount around with him.

Back to Gohan, the Saiyan continued to meditate. You could tell that his hair was not long anymore and that it was cut (it resembles his hair when his father cut it in the Hyperbolic time chamber). The long hair interfered with him a bit, and he felt he had to do something about it. It was easy to cut for just, just a simple cut in the right places using his hair hands, it was easy. Now he had it at the perfect length.

After a few more minutes of enjoyment, Gohan felt a ki drift in from afar. He didn't open his eyes though, nor did his expression flinch from its relaxed state. He just continued to meditate, with some hopes that the person would leave. But, judging from ki output, he figured that this one had big consideration problems.

"Brat…!" the rough voice said loudly. Gohan sighed, finally reacting. He recognized the voice, as well as the ki that he had noted before.

"Yes Vegeta," Gohan calmly replied.

"I need to speak with you," the prince continued.

The young Saiyan glanced behind him. There, floating several meters away was the Saiyan Prince. The black, flame hair atop his head hadn't changed in the slightest, however, his outfit and ki level has certainly changed. He was a lot stronger then before, and was looking well. He also wore a new type of armor from the old, Frieza infantry wear he used to sport. He wore tight, blue spandex pants and top, all long sleeved. He also wore white boots and gloves, the tips of his boots yellow toned like his old uniform. The material used was almost of the same make, only it was a product of Bulma's Capsule Corp, which meant it was much sturdier and more durable. Last but not least was the new body armor. It was merely a slip on vest, white and hard, plastic material. The straps were yellow, plus the torso and back was yellow flex wear. It suited Vegeta well.

After taking in Vegeta's outward appearance, Gohan fixed his eyes back with the Prince's. "What do you need to speak with me about?" he asked. Vegeta furrowed his brow; looking around him for a moment before turning back to the child.

"This is strictly between the two of us," Vegeta continued. "If the other bakas you hang out with find out that I'm asking you for advice, I may as well kill myself for even thinking about crawling to you." Gohan raised an eyebrow. If it was this serious then he may as well comply. Dropping out of his meditative position, Gohan turned around and floated toward Vegeta, arms crossed over his toned chest.

"And…what advice would this be Vegeta?" the young Saiyan queried. Vegeta crossed his own arms and glared at the child. He could see Gohan's tail waving freely behind him, making him feel a little down that he didn't have his back. Anyway, after crossing his arms, Vegeta went on to talking.

"I just want to know…how you did it?" he asked. Gohan shook his head lightly, confused.

"I…don't think I follow you…can you be more specific?"

Vegeta scowled, annoyed at Gohan's incompetence. "How did you do it? How did you become a Super Saiyan? It makes no sense to me!" Vegeta growled. "I've tried so hard to reach it myself. I pushed myself to my limits; I increased by power level to breach that barrier, but all in vein! You were only a half-Saiyan child and you were able to achieve the impossible! Kakarot was a lower class no-co and he was still able to reach it! And that boy from the future! Although I seriously have no inclination of asking who he is, was also able to reach the form of Super Saiyan. That counts three Super Saiyans, and one mistake! ME!" he yelled. "How did you do it?!"

Gohan blinked, staring at the Prince in thought. He couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the flame haired Saiyan, even though he showed no sympathy in return for others. Even so, he was getting there. It was through these thoughts Gohan immediately found out what his problem was. With a brief nod, Gohan gestured towards Vegeta suggestively, taking his situation into full consideration.

"You want to become a Super Saiyan," Gohan stated. Vegeta raised an eyebrow.

"What?!" Gohan poked the air towards him.

"The only thing you desire the most is to become a Super Saiyan. Something you doubt you can achieve now," the young Saiyan continued. Vegeta narrowed his eyes down on him, gritting his teeth and tightening his fists in frustration. This prying was really getting to him.

"I believe I made my point when I expressed my thoughts! What the hell are you getting at, Kakabrat!?" Vegeta growled, raising his voice. The leap in Vegeta's energy didn't surprise Gohan at all, so he just shrugged and continued talking.

"The problem lies, not in your strength Vegeta, but for your desire to become a Super Saiyan," Gohan began. "You see, during my fight with Frieza, when I first transformed, I felt great anger, and a need to defeat the tyrant. It was a response to the overwhelming odds against me, which reacted with my doubt and fear. In turn, what arose were intense feelings of defeat, but after that, I knew I couldn't give up. It's a common human initiation of spirit. I saw my friends and family suffering at Frieza's hands. They needed me there, and I needed to help. So…in the end, I knew I had to beat Frieza. I became overwhelmed with determination, anger and power…"

Vegeta shook his head, trying to make sense of what Gohan was telling him. "So…are you saying that I need to beat myself up through emotional pain?" he asked. Gohan nodded.

"It was an understanding that took me a few more weeks to finally grasp. For others it would be the frustration that would trigger them to unlock a huge segment of their hidden power. But for us, my father included, it took the pain of loss to help us achieve that level of Super Saiyan. The transformation is triggered in response to a need, not a desire. If you strive to defeat your opponent for a good cause, then you surely would be able to reach the form of Super Saiyan. It just…takes time," Gohan explained. Vegeta snorted.

"For you, it only took you a few minutes," the prince said. "You hardly even know a thing about Saiyans…" Gohan chuckled and scratched his cheek.

"Yeah, I guess so," he replied, looking back up. "But I have my sources. I have a family, people I care for and would do anything to protect them. This planet, my home and its people, they are what matter to me most. This is one of the reasons why I strive so hard to achieve so much. My transforming into a Super Saiyan was merely a stroke of luck. I think my father would agree with me." Vegeta nodded in understanding, arms still crossed and still floating in front of the 8 year old.

"Just a reflex action, huh?" Vegeta questioned. Gohan nodded.

"You can say that," the child continued.

Silence fell among the two. Both of them stared at each other, just floating in the quiet of nature. The waterfall continued to flow and the songs of birds echoed around them. It was kind of awkward, seeing the two rivals sharing this small time together. They may not have communicated well enough with each other in the beginning, but somehow, when difficulties and conflicts rose, they were able to cast aside their walls of defense and allow some time to share some of their thoughts with each other. It was almost the same bond Gohan and Piccolo felt, friendship.

Shaking his head, Vegeta glared back up at Gohan and nodded to him.

"I'll let you get back to your training then," he stated, wheeling around and beginning to drift away. "I'll see you later, brat."

Before Vegeta could take off, something else jumped into Gohan's mind, making him smile. He couldn't help it; it had to be worth asking. He called out to Vegeta, stopping him abruptly. "Hey Vegeta!"

The prince glanced over his shoulder. "What is it this time?!" Gohan grinned, placing his hands on his hips.

"How are you and Bulma? Is everything coming along okay?" he asked, rather slyly. Vegeta choked, wheeling around and holding up a fist. He looked rather crazed now.

"There's nothing going on between me and that onna! So shut your yap!" he roared. Gohan shook his head, giving Vegeta the curious eye.

"Ooh…I think the Saiyan Prince is in love," Gohan pressured. Vegeta pulled back, knowing that arguing would only make the problem worse. He knew he had lost the moment Gohan had brought it up. This made him think. If they survived the android episode and Gohan finds a girl, he was going to get him back so badly. Grunting, Vegeta spun around, cheeks red and a bead of sweat running down his forehead. He kept his hard, serious expression up, while hiding away his embarrassment.

"It's none of your business…" Gohan chuckled, crossing his arms and drifting a bit closer.

"You know," Gohan said, biting his bottom lip. "She is young…about a year younger then you and…" the child shrugged suggestively. "She does like you…"

Now Vegeta was really feeling hot under his hair, and not just from the sun. Growling, he glared back at Gohan, red faced and frustrated. "I said drop it brat! I'm the Prince of all Saiyans! I don't need a lecture from you or any other advice on these matters!" he yelled. Gohan waved it away and turned.

"Alright…if you say so…"

Vegeta glared at him as Gohan turned his back and floated back towards the waterfall. The red in his face had lowered, but he was still sweating slightly. His mind whirled as he calmed from his outbursts. It was only after Gohan's rub off did Vegeta's weakened walls crumbled. He sighed and, knowing he would regret this, turned back to the young Saiyan and spoke.

"Ugh…what does she…like to see in a man…?"

Gohan smiled triumphantly. He saw this was coming, and wasn't at all surprised. On the other hand, Vegeta classing Bulma as someone else was quite a change in the way things went.

Without turning around, Gohan spoke up. "Just keep acting the way you do and you'll be fine…"

With that, Gohan crossed his legs again and went on to floating in front of the waterfall. After a deep breath of air, he closed his eyes and returned to his meditation. Everything around him shut itself down, so that he was enjoying the peace of his surroundings once more. Vegeta stared at Gohan, seeing him tone out. It was after a brief moment of thought was he finally satisfied. The prince turned around and powered up, taking off towards West City where he planned on using the GR some more.

Gohan smiled.

"_The bravest are the tenderest. The loving are the daring…"_

* * *

_**A year later…**_

The weeks and months on earth were continually rolling on. The Z-fighters made each day count, with every hour they used as to train, eat, rest and train some more. Goku and Piccolo were still training together at Mount Paoz, with Gohan occasionally joining them in their sessions, but was mostly absent. Vegeta was still housed up at Capsule Corp, using the GR and spending some more time with Bulma at her request. Yamcha had gotten down to some more serious training sessions, honing in on his skills and strengthening himself. Tien and Chouzu were still up in the mountains, and Krillin remained at Kame Island, training by himself, under the watch of Master Roshi. Everything was flowing along nicely.

That is, until now…

Thousands of kilometers above the earth, a dark presence began to loom its dark shadow over the unsuspecting people. It was a familiar stench, mixed with evil and death itself. Coming in from the other side of earth's moon, a saucer shaped space craft came into view. The smooth exterior and hull of the ship was shadowed by the moon, but as soon as it came into the sunlight, you could see what the ship truly looked like. The yellow port holes, tucked in landing supports, top hatch, purple, pressurized port where the bridge was and the hidden repulse lift jets could only fit the description of one particular ship. Frieza's cruiser…

The vessel flew straight towards the planet, looping past one of the satellites. Its cloaking device kept it hidden, whereas its speed kept it out of sight. With seconds, it was beginning its approach of earth's atmosphere. Its landing run came in from the East side of the planet where it hooked in towards a particularly large land mass. Whoever was piloting the space craft was surely making good time.

After a minute or so, the fiery entry into earth's atmosphere had ended, and the ship came in for a steady landing in a rocky, cliff area surrounded by mountains and rolling hillsides. Evergreen forests surrounded the area in which the ship was landing, the temperature being average. The saucer floated down slowly, its landing claws opening and clicking into place. Dust hurled into the air as the fields beneath the ship kicked in as it touched down. The weight of the vessel came down onto its supports, with the legs holding the ship up. Moments later after touch down, the ship's engines switched off, and the saucer remained still and silent in its place.

For a moment, nothing happened. But just then, the top hatch opened up, revealing the dark chambers within. It was from this it spawned three beings. One after another they shot out of the hatch in super speed, landing in order on the ground beside their vessel. The three beings stood up to full height, immediately beginning to look around them and take in their surroundings.

The three beings happened to be three different aliens, all of them dressed in similar outfits. The shortest of the three who stood to about the height of Vegeta was a light-blue skinned man with blonde, neatly cut hair. He wore tight, purple spandex pants and shirt with white boots and gloves. The second tallest was a dark, green skinned, humanoid alien wearing purple shorts, no shirt, white gloves and boots, and a white, plastic, shock proof. The third tallest was a brown, lizard alien of some sort with no tail but looked like a frog. He had long limbs, and wore purple spandex pants with white gloves and boots. All three of them wore the same, top body armor. The armor was plastic, line green with white linings, black flexi wear torso plates and brown shoulder stocks on the left side with just the regular, light green strap on their right. They had a white, downward arrow insignia on their torso plates, as well as all of them wearing green visor scouters over their left eyes. They looked quite intimidating, especially for a special attack force.

After looking around for a few more seconds, spotting the growths of trees and rising landscapes, the shortest of the three, Sauza, who happened to be the leader, spoke up amongst them.

"Hmph…so this is planet earth huh?" he stated, grunting in disinterest. "When I expected a home planet for a Saiyan, I expected a wasteland with dead bodies littering bloodstained hillsides that also serve as graveyards!" The brown, frog like fighter named Neize, nodded affirmatively, letting out a similar undignified grunt as well.

"Yeah, this is totally different sight. Skies are clear, air is fresh…"

"It's disgusting," the large, green fighter, Dore, spat. He kicked at the ground, up hurling dust and dirt. "So where do we expect to find this…Saiyan, who defeated Frieza?"

"Weak minded fools…no effort. I can't believe the antics you three display," a new voice called, catching the three's attention. Turning around, the alien warriors spotted who had called to them, and they immediately got down on their right knees and bowed in respect. The figure who had spoken up floated down from the top of his ship, tail waving angrily.

"Sire…" Sauza breathed. "We were just making sure the area was clear, sire…"

The new alien floated down to the ground and walked past them, fists at his sides and a tight scowl imprinted on his face. His three underlings looked up and towards him, getting to their feet slowly yet cautiously. They stared after the lizard like alien, seeing him stop just several meters out from their flanking positions.

"These earthlings are miniscule compared to the might of me and my henchmen. Why should you worry? We're only here for one thing and one thing only!" the alien said, glaring out over the bright blue horizon. "To destroy the one who destroyed my brother! If my sources are correct, he should be here on this planet!"

The three warriors looked at each other momentarily before turning back to the high lord. "So where do you propose we start, Lord Cooler?" Sauza asked.

The alien, now formally known as Lord Cooler, Frieza brother, lowered his head. His eyes overshadowed and flashed dangerously, showing his determination towards the task at hand. "I want to administer the punishment myself on the one who killed my brother. But I'd like to see him suffer first. Use your scouters and track all of the most powerful warriors on this planet. The strongest should be the one we're looking for. Be sure to set your trackers on divide. If I should no any better, the scouters will overload if they calculate too high a power level. Best not set them to full…get to work! Find him!"

"Yes sir!" the three of them shouted at once…

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	17. Cooler's Armored Squadron

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Cooler's Armored Squadron_

_**Mount Solo village…**_

_**Southern part of the mainland**_

A peaceful colony had established itself many years ago here, far out of contact with any of the major capitals of the Mainland. It was a small town, made up of shops, stores, a hospital, just the one police station, cottages and four windmills. The town was cut up by dirt roads, with the foundations it was built upon being strong and rich. The soil was excellent. Fields surrounding the cottage were used to grow the crops. Rocky walls surrounded the fields, with each house owner having a field to him or herself. A river cut through, past the town, with two water mills built beside it. They provided electricity for the town, enough to satisfy each and everyone's needs. Because the people lived on the outskirts in more primitive and secluded fashion then those living in the cities, they mostly cared for one another, and not just for themselves.

It was a wonderful day today. The sun was shining, the mountain area was warm and it was a working day today. People in the village were carrying on with their business as per usual. Farmers were tending to the crops, children were playing with their friends and, whatever else was supplied to the people was worked to keep it running. The people worked and worked, making errands every now and then to transport their hard earned goods. They greeted each other on the streets, no matter who it was they were greeting. Everything was going splendidly.

But suddenly, all of this changed when a scream erupted from the main road. A woman with her nine year old daughter stood thunderstruck when three aliens fell out of the sky and landed right in front of her. The woman backed away with her child, the rest of the populous present forming a perimeter around the site. The brown haired woman, who looked to be in her thirties and wearing casuals, had a right to be frightened.

The three aliens, no doubt Cooler's henchmen, scattered themselves to form a triangle, and were looking around the village. They saw the people staring at them, all of them looking terrified at the sight of them. Sauza, the head of the search party, walked forward towards the woman and her daughter. The nine year old girl, who had blonde hair tied back in pigtails, bearing sparkling blue eyes and wearing her casual, blue dress with white lace and linings, was also staring at the new comers, frightened.

Sauza stopped in front of them with the two cowering beneath him. He glared around, not caring in the world for anyone else's concern. "Good day earth folk!" he said loudly. "We're looking for a man, preferably a Saiyan warrior, who is hiding out here on this planet for a crime he had committed!"

Dore nodded. "It's a call collect mission!"

"The Saiyan has been described as very powerful, baring a sword and has a furry, brown tail. We have reason to believe you people are hiding him! If you have any information of his whereabouts or are harboring the criminal now, surrender him and nobody gets hurt!" Neize stated.

The villagers remained silent, petrified and staring wide-eyed at the alien invaders. Sauza, Neize and Dore continued to glare at the people, finding their reactions to them a bit annoying. When he realized neither of the villagers was going to talk, Sauza nodded affirmatively and grinned.

"Very well then," he said. "We'll just destroy this village and drive him out ourselves!"

The blonde haired fighter glared down at the woman and the girl. He saw that the mother was holding her daughter close to her, staring up at them in fright.

"P-Please," she pleaded. "Don't hurt us…"

Sauza chuckled, Neize and Dore joining him at his sides. "Oh no…don't worry. You won't feel any pain!"

The blonde haired fighter held his hand out towards the woman, fingers out and palm opened fully. Without any show of mercy or strength, a golden ki ball appeared in his hand. it lit up the entire area in front of him. It crackled and sizzled as it was aimed directly for the woman and her child. The two curled back, the woman covering her daughter and shutting her eyes tightly.

Sauza chuckled, bringing it to almost point blank range. Then he fired…

"WHAT!" he yelled, the three members of Cooler's squad leaping out of the way as another, golden energy ball shot out of the skies. If they hadn't moved, the sneak attack would have surely hit them.

The woman and her daughter looked up, gasping in surprise. They were still alive!

Landing several meters out, scattered, Sauza, Dore and Neize took defensive stances and glared up into the skies, infuriated. The villagers around them were also in shock, and were looking in their direction to see who had saved them from a near genocide.

"Who did that!!!" Dore yelled.

"Me…" the mysterious attacker replied. Looking up into the skies, the three henchmen and the townspeople saw, floating five stories above one of the food stores, a young boy no more then nine years old, suspended in mid-air. He had his arms crossed and was glaring down at the aliens he had just driven off. The boy had black, spiky hair, wore black gi pants, a white, long sleeved, traditional style gi top, a red sash around his waist, standard martial arts shoes, red ankle weights, blue wrist weights and had a belt tied around him with a sword slung up behind him on his back.

Neize blinked, gritting his teeth and held a fist up at toward their attacker. "Who the heck are you!" he shouted.

Dore growled. "Don't make us ask twice kid!"

The boy, obviously Gohan, glared back, arms still folded. "I could ask you guys the same question…"

Sauza blinked, albeit confused. "And how did he manage to sneak up on us without us knowing…?" he queried.

The child hardened his glare. "Fortunately I know all about your scouters. It can't detect any ki level that is masked…"

Dore glared over at Sauza. "Who the hell is this kid!? What is he anyway?" Sauza blinked some more, taking a closer look at the boy. It was after a second or so did he make a startling conclusion, piecing together all the clues he could come up with.

"Hold up, that kid's got a tail!" he said. Neize and Dore looked up at the boy. Looking around his waist line, they noticed a brown, furry appendage waving steadily behind him, catching their attention. Dore and Neize were surprised, whereas Sauza was rather pleased. "I believe we have found our Saiyan…"

Neize spat. "But he barely fits the description, are you sure!?" Dore snorted.

"No way! You've got to be kidding, Sauza. This brat defeated Frieza? Yeah right," he continued. The villagers were looking between the aliens and the boy. They were all shocked, puzzled and confused. Whatever was happening now was definitely beyond their knowledge. The woman and her daughter had managed to back away further, and were looking up at the boy while listening to the three invaders bicker.

Sauza smirked. "Destroying Frieza was a feat very few could pull off," he exclaimed. "Perhaps this boy would be a prestigious kill for us…"

Neize stepped forward, dropping into a stance. Dore did the same, flanking Sauza at the same time. "Let's kill him!" the frog alien shouted.

"Best to get this over with…then ask questions later!" Dore stated, bringing up his own method of shoot first and what not. Gohan uncrossed his arms, fisting his hands at his sides. His eyes remained fixated on the three of them. He couldn't help but notice that they were all wearing similar outfits to the Ginyu Force, only more customized.

The child blinked, fisting his hands. The crystal pendant he wore sparkled, whereas the butt end handle of his sword shone. "You three are seriously miffed if you think you can take me down…"

Dore growled. "I'm going to be ripping you apart not bringing you down! Now prepare to die! AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!" he roared, launching himself up into the air and charging at the child. He was closely followed by Neize and Sauza, their take off sending dust and debris into the air. The crowds of villagers gasped, watching as the aliens attacked the boy.

Gohan sighed, remaining in his standing position. Dore, Neize and Sauza broke apart, flanking and coming in from all sides of the young Saiyan. This caused the child to take evasive action, as well as a precaution. He shot at Dore just as the three closed in. He hammered the guy's face in with a powerful left hook, before changing course and throwing himself back at Neize coming at him from behind. He elbowed the frog man in the chest, sending him away with that winding blow. This was followed up when the Saiyan sent a right, side kick up into Sauza's face just as he was coming in with a punch. Gohan downed them all effortlessly, but they eventually came back with more. This time, after recovering from the blows, they attacked him at the same time. They surrounded their opponent and began pounding him, sending punches and kicks at him from all three sides. The young Saiyan dodged, avoided and blocked every single attack that came at him, spinning round and round constantly while shifting through the air. His expression remained serious and set, showing how much he didn't have to try.

Sauza, Neize and Dore put full strength into this burst mode, hammering away at Gohan even though their attacks weren't having any effect. The child was too fast, they could barely keep tabs on his movements. They shifted through the air, with Sauza backing down when the young Saiyan began lashing out at him as well.

The villagers below could see the fight raging on above, since they weren't moving in super speed. For all they knew was that the boy was defending them from these aliens, and was being overwhelmed. Well, they thought the child was beat, but they were wrong. It turned out to be the other way around. Dore, Neize and Sauza were exhausting all their energy and strength, unable to keep up foot with their opponent. After a while, Gohan grew tired of this and blocked final strikes from his attackers. He first blocked an elbow from Dore, then a hook from Neize and finally a knee from Sauza. The four bit and held that position with Dore and his comrades applying pressure to their attacks to try and squish him. Gohan wasn't fazed.

With a quick power output, he sent them away by throwing all limbs out he used to block the attacks, throwing them back through the air. Neize, Dore and Sauza stopped, taking up the three corners around Gohan at equal distances. They stared at him, seeing him glaring ahead at Sauza. They were all sweating and slightly bruised, whereas their target didn't even have a scratch on him. He was completely unharmed.

After their failed assault, Sauza tried a new one. He charged Gohan, intent on another engagement. Gohan met his assault with a strong defense. He blocked the two punches first and then the kick, before their fight was taken into high speeds. Sauza and Gohan began exchanging blows and defense techniques. Sauza received most of the blows, while Gohan didn't receive any. He avoided and blocked all of his opponent's attacks while they both shifted through the air. The blonde haired leader of the troop was forced back under pressure, the flurrying fight being too much for him to handle. Dore, angered at his inferior build at being unable to put any damage on his target, flung himself at the child, fists raised. Gohan sensed the approach of the big, green guy and frowned. He blocked a powerful punch from Sauza and held him in place. Before long, and counting the seconds, Gohan pulled on his target and sun him round, throwing Sauza into Dore. The dark green fighter was caught off guard when he suddenly got a face full of blonde hair. The two were sent flying.

Neize then concentrated his assault. Throwing his right hand out towards the boy, the frog man unleashed a powerful ki blast. The blast ripped through the air at high speeds straight for the child, without a hint of stopping. Gohan glared at it as it approached him. Just as it was about to hit, Gohan brought his right hand down and threw it up, striking the blast and sending it skyward. The effortless block of the attack deflected it, with absolutely no damage made. With a infuriated yell, Neize flung himself forward and flew straight at Gohan, fists held up and ready to strike. Gohan charged in kind and locked with Neize in a furious battle. Fists and kicks flew, with Neize yelling out with every attack he launched. The young Saiyan warrior didn't even have to concentrate in order to avoid the following attacks and, with his defense being the superior, began pushing Neize back. The frog fighter sweated nervously when he saw the child begin to approach. He was weary of an attack, as the Saiyan had a strong arm from which he had learnt in his last foolish attempt to bring him down.

Dore and Sauza managed to pull themselves out of their predicament, and after a quick breather, rushed in to aid Neize. Their efforts to save their friend were thwarted, when Gohan managed to batter Neize away with a gut blow and a swift kick across the face. When the frog fighter was sent flying, Gohan turned his attention to Dore and Sauza who came at him from his left and right sides. The child was on the defensive, blocking the first flurry of kicks and punches they sent his way. They shifted through the sky, Gohan constantly moving in order to keep himself in the game. He caught Sauza's fist in a arm lock and kicked him across the face. While holding him in place, he blocked a series of punches from Dore before catching his head and bringing him forward. To which he sent a swift elbow across his face which drew blood, sending him away at the same time. Then, he pounded Sauza's face, mashing it up pretty good before releasing him and sending an upper cut into his gut. As Sauza reeled forward, Gohan concentrated heavy punches and kicks aimed at his upper body before knocking him away with a 360 round house kick.

Neize charged him from the sidelines, yelling as he came up to meet Gohan. He followed his charge through with a right, straight punch. Gohan stepped to the side, easily avoiding it. He then brought his knee upwards and rammed the alien in the gut, winding him. After a brief pivot, he brought his leg up, around and down in an axe kick, sending Neize falling. The frog alien plummeted and went straight through the roof of a herbal store. Gohan watched him disappear amongst the wood and dust. It was right then when Dore came back into the fray. With a loud zip, he appeared behind Gohan and sent a right punch straight into the child's back. Just when it seemed he had struck Gohan, he suddenly went straight through him. Gasping in surprise, he looked back, realizing he had gone through an after image. But just as he watched it disappear, a new Gohan solidified in its place and sent a powerful roundhouse kick straight across his face. Dore blanked out for a moment as he was sent dropping to the ground. He chipped an entire corner off of a cottage roof off before he crashed into the neighbor's backyard, ruining the garden. Whoever was outside immediately went running inside, frightened.

Sauza, shaking his head and wiping away the blood from his lip, growled and charged Gohan from behind. The Saiyan turned around, seeing one of his opponents on the attack. The blonde haired fighter was readying himself for an assault, hand thrown back and ready to strike. Gohan braced, just as Sauza came in with a punch. The child leapt back, avoiding the blow attack. Sauza came up with him with a swift, uppercut turned into a hook, face shot. Gohan ducked and backed away again, avoiding that attack. The squad leader then brought his left hand back down again in a chop, only to miss again when Gohan leapt away. He took a fighting stance, readying himself. Just as Sauza was launching another hook, Gohan grabbed his fist in his palm, holding Sauza in place. With that, Gohan brought his knee back and threw it up and forward, cracking Sauza right in the chin. The blow staggered Sauza, sending him rearing back and falling.

Gohan took the opportunity and grabbed Sauza's leg. With a quick, slight bit of effort, Gohan pitched him. Sauza was sent flying straight into one of the fields. He crashed into the softened ground and sent streaking across, dust and dirt flying. He created a deep entrenchment by the time he stopped, allowing the young Saiyan an easy target. Bringing his fist about, he threw it forward, the spaces in his fingers glowing bright blue. When he threw his charged attack, it broke up into fast moving energy shards. They flew straight down for the field, catching Sauza's attention. The warrior gasped and leapt to his feet, wheeling around.

In front of him, he saw the shards hit the ground and suddenly explode. What resulted was a following series of powerful explosions. The ground tore itself up as a blazing wall of fire headed towards him, smoke and debris flying. Sauza leapt into the air, avoiding Gohan's _Flamethrower_ attack. Looking down as he soared upwards, Sauza saw the field alight with fire, the result of a napalm attack. Growling with gritted teeth, the wounded mercenary glared up to where his opponent should be. Just as he did, Gohan shot out from the skies behind him, the Saiyan child making a hook charge and tackling the blonde haired fighter. Sauza was sent flying forward when Gohan booted him in the back with a straight, side kick. The child watched Sauza fly back into the city, landing on a rooftop, damaging it and rebounding, bouncing across and landing on the next one. He rebounded off that one too before falling off and onto a dirt road. His landing was harsh, his lip bleeding and was battered all over.

The same went for Dore and Neize. The two of them were severely beaten by their opponent and, at the moment, had their faces in the dirt. Dore, finally recovering from his fall into a backyard, shook his face of any dirt and let out a growl.

"That rat!" he turned around and glared up into the sky, seeing the boy floating there uncaringly. He roared. "I'll turn you inside out!!!" A white aura sprang up around him and Dore flew up and at Gohan. He gained altitude and speed quickly, bringing his two hands up and locking fingers together. Gritting his teeth, he brought his fists down in a hammer strike, only to see his opponent hold up his hand and block it easily.

Dore growled, applying more pressure, but unable to budge the boy. Gohan just glared up at him, still not using any effort to battle his opponents. He had thought the Ginyu Force was tough, but these guys were tougher. He could tell from their ki signatures. Still, it didn't mean they were a match for him. After having caught the green man's attack and holding him in place, Gohan pushed him up, throwing him back. He then came in and sent a powerful right punch into his stomach. Dore reeled over, eyes wide and gasping. Saliva flew out of his mouth as he was winded. Just then, Gohan opened his palm against the warrior's armor and unleashed a blue energy blast. The attack turned into a ball of energy that sent the warrior flying. The blast exploded, sending the smoking body of the fighter falling.

Gohan kept his hand out, staring after the fallen warrior. At that moment, Neize shot out of the damaged store and flew straight up at Gohan. He appeared behind him, left fist held back and ready to strike. The frog man brought the attack down swiftly, striking at the Saiyan child, only to see him disappear. He reappeared several meters away, turned to him. Neize growled and flew at him, striking out with another hook. Gohan disappeared again, this time reappearing behind him. Neize spun around, balling his fists and growling.

"Alright kid! You've asked for it! Eat this!!!" Neize yelled, holding both hands up and powering up a new attack. Purple electricity began to crackle hotly in his hands, sparks flying and energy level soaring. Gohan watched Neize charge up his attack, curious to see what it would do. He was caught by surprise when the fighter through both hands forward and, what shot at him was, not a ki blast, but a lightning bolt of some sort.

Gohan was struck full on by the attack and was consumed by burning electricity of over 10,000 volts. The young Saiyan let out a cry of agony, his body trembling under the effects of the burning attack. He was getting fried. His body pulsed with the raw, harmful energy coursing through him. The pain was intense, barely keeping him in a state of consciousness.

Neize laughed, holding up a firm fist. "Bulls eye!" he yelled, floating towards the child. Those villagers on the ground, who wanted to stay and watch, were looking up at the fight taking place. They could see the events unfolding before them, and had thought that the boy was actually going to win when suddenly they saw him become engulfed in a field of electricity. The mother and daughter had decided to stay to, only to see to their horror their savior getting roasted.

"Excellent work Neize!" Sauza exclaimed as he and Dore floated up the join him. They both nodded towards their friend, impressed. "You have subdued the monkey boy. Now it's our turn to make him suffer…"

Neize chuckled as he floated in close to the electric field, watching the boy wither and yell in agony under the influence of the attack. The frog waved at the two warriors behind him. "Please…this brat was nothing. Guess he's feeling pretty stupid right about now…" Gohan shut his eyes and withered around even more then before, feeling the electric field increase in intensity. Neize laughed amusingly as he floated closer, Dore and Sauza grinning behind him. "Deep fried Saiyan, how yummy…"

Suddenly, Gohan stopped crying and grinned at Neize. This shocked the frog fighter beyond belief and he backed away. Before Neize could do anything else, Gohan brought his right hand about and slapped it right into the side of the fighter's head. Turning the attack against him, Gohan transferred the powerful, burning energy into Neize himself. The tall mercenary let out a cry of agony as he was consumed by his own attack and fried, inside and out. Within seconds, the energy was all used up and when the purple electricity died, all that was left was a charred corpse. Dead, the body fell to the ground below, crashing on top of a veranda and going straight through it. The body eventually landed on a bench, destroying it before being covered by debris. Dore and Sauza were shocked.

Dusting himself down, Gohan smiled up at Dore and Sauza. "Good try…but no," the young Saiyan exclaimed. He then lowered his arms and turned fully towards the remaining two minions. "I guess now you'll have to do a little better to beat his score…" Gohan couldn't help it. His Saiyan instincts were flaring wildly at the challenge…if you'd like to call this fight that. It was a great warm up though.

Dore growled and fisted his hands tightly, teeth bared menacingly. He was so enraged now that his vision was practically red. "Why you stupid Saiyan monkey!!!" he yelled. "I'm going to kill you!!!" With a roar of rage, he charged Gohan, flying at high speeds directly for the child. Gohan remained standing still, smiling.

The fighter closed in on the Saiyan warrior climbing a bit to gain a little height. He towered over Gohan like Arnold Schwarzenegger over Danny Devito, before coming down with a powerful punch. All Gohan had to do was move his head to the side, feeling the fist brush past him before ducking, moving forward and sent a palm strike straight up underneath Dore's chin. After which, Gohan took an elbow shot straight for his chest. The blow cracked the armor and sent the fighter spinning through the air towards Sauza. The blonde haired mercenary moved just in time as Dore went flying past. With a quick power up of his own, Sauza threw his hands towards Gohan like punches, one after another, firing off orange ki blasts that flew straight for the Saiyan child. Gohan deflected them, back handing them out of the way. Then, after unleashing ten blasts, Sauza charged his opponent with the intention of ruining his face.

"You're mine!" he shouted, coming up to Gohan and sending a hook for his face. Gohan dodged that and leapt back when Sauza followed through that right hook with a left jab.

Pursuing him, Sauza began recklessly launching useless punches. They were useless for the fact of being too slow and too weak to measure up to Gohan's strength and reflexes. The young Saiyan side stepped another punch. After drifting past with the motion, Sauza spun around and took off at Gohan again; launching another left, power-punch. It missed when Gohan fazed out and reappeared behind him. Now more overly frustrated, the blonde fighter spun around and side kicked, only to see Gohan disappear again. He gasped and looked around, losing track of him. Just then the Saiyan reappeared behind him to his right. The mercenary responded by turning around, pivoting and launching a left punch directed at his opponent's face. The battle hardened Saiyan caught his fist, twisted his arm and knocked him away with the deadly, ninja-chest strike. The blow broke Sauza's armor and winded him, sending him drifting back from the force of the blow. Staggered, yet still conscious, the blonde mercenary threw his right hand out and fired off a ki blast at his opponent. The blast was fast and at a close quarter too, but was ineffective. Gohan caught it, turning it into an energy ball in his grasp. He held it, just as Sauza floated back into a proper position, his left arm broken and limp at his side.

Gohan suddenly heard a scream coming from his right and he glanced down, seeing Dore flying up at him at full speed, bleeding from the mouth and more bruised then ever. Turning a bit, Gohan brought the energy ball he held in his hand before throwing it straight at the fighter's face. Dore was unable to react fast enough when the blast shot directly at him and upon impact, engulfed him in a fiery explosion. His scream echoed into the distance before he was completely wiped out by the attack. Smoke bellowed out as the explosion took place, dissipating seconds later and leaving no trace of the mercenary. Gohan remained where he was, hovering with his hand still held out towards the position Dore once was. Sauza was now fear struck.

Backing away, the remaining Cooler Squad Member gritted his teeth and stared fearfully at the young Saiyan. Gohan turned, glaring at the blonde haired mercenary. Sauza stammered.

"I-Impossible…w-who are you?!" Gohan furrowed his brow in response.

"My name is Gohan," he replied firmly. "And this is my home. You made a big mistake coming to this planet. But because you're wounded, I'll give you a chance. Leave now or suffer the consequences…"

Sauza growled and threw his still working hand and pointed it towards the child. "Never! I serve the one and only powerful being in this universe! You are nothing compared to the might of Lord Cooler! He will waste you and this entire planet!"

Gohan remained silent, staring at the injured fighter. He couldn't help feel sorry for him. These days, all the villains have the intention of getting at him for something he did or didn't do. It was like he was a magnet, or perhaps he was just around when really bad things happen. Anyway, this Sauza character was really one sore guy. He would rather except death then live. That was the problem. Most characters these days believe that it would be better to die with honor then live as a coward. It isn't like that. You can't put a price on your own life, no matter what.

With a yell, the warrior threw his right arm out, palm and fingers held straight out like a chop motion. In a split second, a bright formation of purple energy enveloped his arm, buzzing and sizzling. Gohan flinched. He easily recognized it as an energy blade technique, similar to Frieza's only shorter. The blonde haired mercenary took a stance and, with a quick power up, flung himself at his opponent. Zipping through the air, he charged Gohan, blade swung back over his left shoulder, ready to strike. The young Saiyan waited till Sauza was close enough and, when it seemed Sauza was going to strike, there was the sound of a metallic slice. It was sharp, split and precise. A second later, back to the fray, you could see Sauza floating past Gohan, who in turn, had his sword drawn.

After a moment or so of drifting, Sauza suddenly let out a strangled choke, eyes blanking. What emerged from his mouth was a splatter of saliva and purple blood. As soon as he felt the pain, the energy around his arm disappeared and he plummeted from the skies. Moments later, he crashed in the middle of the road, dead. It was upon landing did a pool of purple blood begin to leak out and stain the dirt, the villagers gathering but keeping their distance. They were all in shock.

Gohan sighed and drifted down to earth, sword still drawn. When he looked upon the body of Sauza, he stared for a moment and then, with a twirl of his weapon, slipped it back into its sheath. It clicked into place, silence dawning upon the area. From here, Gohan's eyes wavered, his mind a whirl.

"_Where do these guys keep coming from?"_ he asked himself.

Just then, the woman and her daughter approached him from behind. Catching onto the approach of many of the villagers, he turned to them in anticipation. He watched as the mother and daughter came up to him, a little cautious yet curious. The brown haired maid held her daughter, who was more curious about the boy then weary. Everyone stopped at certain distances, with the two girls being the closest out of all the people present.

The woman tilted her head at Gohan and smiled kindly. She nodded to him. "T-Thank you…thank you for saying us…"

Gohan blinked a couple of times in surprise. But when the realization finally reached him, he smiled and nodded kindly in return. "That's alright. These things happen…" The woman chuckled, her hands place on her daughter's shoulders.

"Not occasionally. This was new for us," she replied softly, amused. She looked more curiously at him and nodded. "Who are you? What's your name…?" she asked. Gohan turned to them fully, bowing to them in greeting.

"My name is Son Gohan from Mount Paoz, it's a pleasure to meet you," he replied, looking back up. The villagers around drew closer, now at ease and finding no more danger around them. Many of them were actually sharing smiles and were talking quietly about their savior. The woman took his outward appearance and well-manners in well. She thought he was very nice.

"It's nice to meet you too, Gohan. I'm Kasia, and this is my daughter Erran," the maid replied, moving Erran forward a bit. She looked down at her daughter and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Say hello dear, it's alright…"

Erran smiled and bowed to him. "Hello…Gohan," she said. Gohan bowed to her as well.

"Hello Erran," he replied. The blonde haired girl looked back up at him but then moved back into her mother's arms, hugging her. Kasia chuckled and looked back up at the young Saiyan.

"She's just a little shy," she explained, stroking her daughter's hair. Erran glanced over at Gohan, blushing a little while trying to hide herself. The young Saiyan just smiled up and looked around. Everyone was whispering and talking enthusiastically about him. The villagers were all looking at him with awe and interest. Gohan couldn't help but chuckle. He wondered why he was such a big hit with everyone.

"You know," Kasia began to speak again, drawing Gohan's attention to her. "We rarely get any visitors up here, since we're so far away from the cities. Would you like to join us for lunch?" Gohan grinned.

"Well I…huh?"

Suddenly, he heard the sound of slow clapping, a rhythmical one second beat. Gohan's ears clicked into focus, and his ki sensing technique extended outwards on its radius'. When his senses reached the mysterious clapper, his eyes widened at the amount of ki he felt radiating off of that one person. It was huge and filled with a cold, evil tone. He hadn't felt this kind of energy since Frieza. But…he was dead…

Gohan nervously glanced over his shoulder, slowly turning himself and his eyes towards the sky. There, floating stories above, he saw the figure who was clapping. He gasped in shock when he saw who it was. The villagers also caught onto the sound and looked skyward. Everyone was shocked and horror struck when they saw yet another alien, this one twice as terrifying as the last ones. Everyone backed away, trying not to remain directly underneath this newcomer.

On close inspections of this new alien, Gohan was able to take in every detail and appearance. He was about the same height as his father but was slim, athletically toned yet had bigger muscles to suit a fighter. He had purple legs, tail, face, arms and hands. He also had white, exoskeleton armor on his chest, upper abdominals, shoulders blades, and wrist and ankle cuffs. To add to it, the alien had the same white exoskeleton on his cranium. It served as sort of a crown for him with a purple jewel shield going over his head. In spite of everything Gohan could see on the alien, his mind only lead up to one thing. He turned round slowly, still looking shocked.

"Frieza? No…wait!" Gohan yelled, taking a step back. "Something's different…"

After a moment or two, the alien stopped clapping and his arms fell to his sides. A smirk donned his confident looking features. "Well done Saiyan…I'm impressed," he jeered. "No one I've ever come across was able to withstand attacks from Dore, Neize and Sauza, especially when they were all attacking at the same time. And now…you have beaten them. I don't really care. They were expendable assets anyway…"

Gohan growled angrily and stepped forward, hands fisted. "Who are you?!"

The alien chuckled and raised his hands as he began explaining. "I guess I really should introduce myself. I am Cooler, Frieza's brother!" Gohan gritted his teeth, eyes widening more.

"Frieza's brother!?" he managed to stammer out. _"That can't be right. Trunks never mentioned anything about a brother of Frieza's showing up on this planet. If so, then he would have said something about it. Unless…unless a rift in time must have altered the course of history a little! Dang…I thought something like this would happen…"_

Cooler grinned. "I can see why you are so shocked. Yes, there are perfectly good reasons for it. My brother never mentioned me to anyone, since he was so arrogant and uncaring, even towards his own family. Yet he was spoiled by my father. That little brat…I knew that one day his arrogance and pride would get him killed," the lizard stated, his grin and expression suddenly turning into a hateful glare. "And I believe I just found the one who killed him…"

Gohan furrowed his brow and took a more appropriate stance. "Well…you found me. And just before you move into any more conclusions, I have to say that your father didn't pose any threat either!" Cooler was taken aback by this announcement, shock appearing on his face. His confidence was just winded.

"What?!"

The young Saiyan nodded affirmatively. "Frieza was barely alive when your father found him. After patching him together they came here to earth to take their revenge on us. We killed Frieza again, this time for good, as well as your father. I had no intention of letting them harm any of my friends or family," Gohan stated loudly. Cooler gritted his teeth and raised a clench fist. He was glaring angrily down at Gohan, infuriated at this new news. He never even knew about it.

"Why you insolent…" his anger lowered like his fist. After taking a calming breath, he smiled. "Not to worry. I'm going to kill you anyway. Just so you know, I'm far stronger then my father and brother, and as you will soon find out, I'm far more influenced in the ways of fighting then either of them…" Gohan narrowed his eyes, taking his symbolic fighting stance. The climax and intensity of the moment began to rise, with the villagers around them stepping back even more.

"I wasn't fighting prone when I battled your brother, but I defeated him anyway!" Gohan shouted. "Now I want to see how strong I have gotten since!"

Cooler grinned. "Very well then…but…I'm also curious to see the power that you used to destroy my brother…"

Gohan powered up slightly, a wind of dust picking up around his feet. It twirled around him for a moment before bursting outwards. The villagers stood back, knowing that another fight was about to commence. Kasia and Erran also stepped back, a little frightened. Gohan glared up at Cooler.

"THEN I WON'T DISAPPOINT YOU!!!"

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_

****

* * *

_**Author's note:**_

I prefer it when Gohan's actually fighting the main villain(s) on his own. I also got the bases from the DBZ movies, when there is the cliff hanger and then suddenly the good guy shows up, something like Piccolo or Vegeta jumping in when Goku is about to get killed and something like that. It sometimes seems that whenever that particular character pops up, he seems stronger then the ones who fought the main villain all the way through.


	18. Battle of Power

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Battle of Power_

With a yell of rage, Gohan shot skyward, the ground from which he took off from crumbling. The villagers gasped at the amount of force and strength he displayed with that take off. It surprised Cooler greatly when he saw Gohan hurl himself straight at him at an incredible rate. Just as he was backing away and raising his hands to defend himself, Gohan came in with a powerful hook that he sent across the tyrant's face. Cooler was blind sighted and knocked senseless by the blow, which sent him staggering back.

Gohan followed up that attack with a knee. He rammed the blow straight into Cooler's stomach before bringing himself up with a straight shot kick to his chin. The alien was knocked back through the air, recovery at this point impossible. The young Saiyan didn't waste any time in waiting and flung himself at Cooler again, who, at this point, had finally recovered. Taking evasive action, he leapt up and flew backwards through the air in retreat. Gohan pursued, with no intention of letting his opponent escape. Cooler then looked back, seeing that the Saiyan was chasing him. If that be the case, he figured he would end this now.

Turning around, Cooler held out his right hand towards the Saiyan child. With a growl, he charged up an attack. An aqua colored energy radiated from his hand for a moment but then suddenly exploded as a powerful ki blast shot out of his grasp, aimed directly at Gohan. The young Saiyan brought his right hand about and slapped it away, continuing on at top speed. With a yell, he sent another punch across Cooler's face. His right fist connected right in between the tyrant's eyes, the lizard letting out a yell of pain and staggering back. Gohan then followed up with a left upper cut, then a right knee, a left roundhouse kick, a right hook, then a right body shot, ending it with a left elbow. The blows were deadly and precise, forcing Cooler back in a shock. Bruised and battered the tyrant glared at Gohan for a moment before firing off another surprise attack. His eyes glowed pink for a moment before two narrow beams shot out directly for the child. Gohan watched as the attacks soared at him, but wasn't worried. With a quick power up, his blue aura sprung up around him and, with a swift hand movement, he deflected the two beams, sending them skywards.

Cooler could not let anyone surpass him in power. So, after a quick recovery, he shot at Gohan, fists raised and ready to strike. The young Saiyan charged as well, the two fighters's striking out at the same time and colliding with their elbows. A shockwave sounded and echoed, rattling the skies with the force used. Suddenly, the two fighters then disappeared, zapping into super speed and carrying their battle to a new dimension. Seconds after they had vanished, sonic explosions began ripping through the skies, both warriors breaking barriers and attacking each other without mercy.

They both flashed in and out of Super speed, locked in some sort of heated conflict or exchanging punishing blows. Gohan parried most of Cooler's lethal strikes, whereas the weaker tyrant was finding it hard to keep foot with the young Saiyan. He received most of the blows, only a couple of them striking fatal points that winded him or staggered him. This process picked up, the ferocity and intensity of the battle growing and growing. The villagers were ducking and taking cover, fearing that they would get struck down by the lightning fast fighters, as well as get knocked down by the shock waves. It was getting really dangerous now.

The earth shook as the strength the fighters applied increased. The ground cracked and split, holes being knocked into the earth due to the sonic booms going off too close to the earth. At just the right moment, two craters were punched into the earth simultaneously, both fighters flashing into focus for the moment. Cooler was still being pursued and pressured on by his opponent. Gohan's unyielding assault was proving to be too much for the tyrant, forcing him to back down quickly. Then, after receiving a hook and taking it to the chest, Cooler fazed out, quickly followed by Gohan. Their fight took to the skies again, but not before the roof of a nearby house suddenly caved in, foot marks being punches all over the woodwork. More shock waves rippled through the air, a cloud up ahead exploding when the collisions of fists got too close to it. The strength both fighters were displaying was still at its most potent.

Dropping back for a moment, Gohan swung his arm round and forward, firing off a golden ki blast. The blast streaked through the air, passing a certain point that drove Cooler out of hiding. The lizard appeared, leaping over the blast and falling a bit to lessen his altitude level. Holding out his right finger at Gohan, the tyrant fired off five blue, ki bullets that shot at his target before he vanished again. The young Saiyan appeared once more, in the path of the attacks. Ready as always, he held out his left hand and blocked the following ki attacks. They shot away like deflected blaster bolts, after which Gohan took to super speed. Just then, Cooler appeared where Gohan once floated, kicking out at thin air. He growled when he missed and began wheeling about, looking for his opponent. Then, when it appeared he had lost all sight of him, his eyes widened and he glanced up, only to receive a downward elbow from the Saiyan child. The strike knocked him senseless, sending him down to earth in splendid tumbling fashion. Seconds after the strike had been made, Cooler landed on all fours, having slowed his fall and taken control.

Glaring up into the skies and getting to his feet, Cooler, now bruised and bleeding from the mouth, let out a low growl and began searching for his target. When he sensed that the Saiyan child was using super speed to evade him, the tyrant fisted his hands and powered up, a purple aura bursting around him. With a yell of anger, he disappeared, ki trailing upwards before dissipating, indicating he was chasing after his opponent. A second after the villagers had lost sight of both fighters; there was a series of sonic explosions ripping right above the village. it came in close, hard and fast, swooping down from the heights. Even as Gohan tried his best to keep Cooler away from the village, the fight dragged him down further. Like a machine gun tearing away at a tree, the resounding explosions of force ripped up the houses and stores, sending dust and debris everywhere, and punching craters into the ground. The villagers screamed, running in terror.

Then, the trail of explosions moved up, with both fighters suddenly appearing. Gohan and Cooler were locked in a battle of colossal proportions, flurries of punches and kicks being thrown at each other. They spun round and round, shifting through the skies and breaking away every few seconds, but jumping back at their opponent to carry on with the fight. They were only visible for a minute or so, before they kicked off each other and disappeared into super speed.

There was for some time a hell of a lot of maneuvering and flying made by both opponents as a cat and mouse chase was initiated. The pursuing by one fighter changed between the two constantly, with both of them sometimes chasing each other at the same time. This soon ended after it grew tiring for them and they wanted to get into beating each other up again. Cooler appeared first, hand cranked back at the ready. When he threw it forward, he unleashed an incredibly powerful, purple energy blast. The _Destructive Ray_ shot through the air, eventually reaching Gohan's position. The young Saiyan responded by pulling his arms back, hands open. They glowed sparkling gold as he charged his next attack and, when it was done, he threw both hands forward and unleashed his _Scattered Volley Shot_. The blasts short past and round Cooler's Destructive Ray with only one of the energy attacks colliding with the spearhead end of the blast. The twelve energy ball struck Cooler repeatedly, knocking him back and making him lose control of his blast. The Destructive Ray, having lost connection, dissipated, with the help of one of Gohan's energy balls striking it. After all the sparks, fire and smoke had died, Gohan charged the staggered and burnt Cooler.

Powering up, the young Saiyan hooked around, his aura flaring. Cooler had managed to pull himself out of his predicament and, when he saw Gohan coming at him, he threw his left hand forward and fired off five, purple ki balls. The attacks collided with their target head on, but weren't strong enough to do any damage. Gohan emerged from the cloud of smoke, yelling at the top of his lungs. Before he was in reach of his opponent, he zapped into super speed, making Cooler back off in shock. Just then, the young Saiyan appeared behind him and flipped backwards, sending a kick at the tyrant's back. The blow was tremendous, sending Cooler plummeting down towards the ground far below.

When it seemed that the alien would crash, he suddenly flipped, curling up into a ball and spinning towards the ground at a controlled rate. In a second, he landed, standing up straight and glaring ahead of him. Just then, Gohan landed at least 15 meters away, fists at his sides and a bruise donned on his left cheek and forehead. His opponent was in an even worse state, with purple blood leaking from the corner of his mouth and bottom lip, with many bruises on his face and body.

From there positions, the two stared at each other, all senses on full focus. Many villagers were still standing around, watching the two in awe and curious to see what would happen next. After a few moments of waiting and watching, the silence was broken up when Cooler began to speak. He smirked and nodded his head, looking at Gohan with all the more interest. Reaching his right hand up, he dusted down his front, feeling a slight sting from a bruise on his upper peg.

"I must say Saiyan, I'm impressed," the tyrant exclaimed. "Seriously. It's been so long since I had fought a worthy enough opponent. In fact…no one in this universe was able to satisfy my strength except you. With no doubt, you are by far the strongest being I have yet faced. I applaud your strengths." Gohan just glared at him, before suddenly smiling and nodding to his opponent, showing a bit more respect then what he would usually show.

"Thanks," Gohan replied. "I can see that you're also just as strong. You're even stronger then your brother…"

Cooler chuckled, narrowing his eyes even more. "Well, lets not get too confident, Saiyan…for I have yet been able to show you my true potential…" Gohan raised an eyebrow, seeing Cooler raise a finger in statement. "You see, my brother was capable of astounding feats, transformations that would exceed his base form and increase his strength many times over. His attacks were strong, just like mine. Not even our father was capable of what we could achieve. So I will show you my true power now. Perhaps I should have mentioned earlier that this is my third transformed state…and the forth beyond this one is far greater than even you can even dream…"

Gohan blinked, eyes widening. "A forth form!?"

The tyrant chuckled and took a firmer stance, tail waving violently behind him before stiffening and slowing in its casual waves. His feet spread to shoulder width apart and he crouched a bit, fists balling at his sides. All his muscles seemed to grow and his ki suddenly took a huge jump. Cooler grinned at the young Saiyan, his entire body tensing up on a grand scale. "Consider yourself privileged. You shall be the first one to witness this form, before I annihilate you, this village and this planet! YOU'RE FINISHED!!!"

With a low growl, Cooler crossed his arms over his face and suddenly brought his knees up to his abdomen, crossing slightly. As soon as he had curled up and began floating off of the ground, a sonic explosion occurred, punching a huge crater beneath him. The resounding shock wave spread out on an incredibly wide radius, knocking the houses outwards from the centre, as well as several people off their feet. Gohan had to hold his ground when the winds reached him, waving his clothes about at its ferocity. Suddenly, at the sound of this shock wave, the young Saiyan watched as Cooler began to undergo an astounding transformation.

The alien's body began trembling where he hovered with all his limbs still curled in and tensed. It was like he was having a seizure. However, as this strange shaking began, bursts of wind began to explode from out of him, sending dust and debris flying at a rhythmical rate before it transformed into a gale. As the winds increased in strength, forcing people to take cover again, the real changes in Cooler began. With a growing yell, Cooler thrust his arms and chest out, his pegs exploding outwards in an incredible growth, as well as the white, exoskeleton shoulder cuffs close to his other shoulders expanding like the muscles on his arms. He let out an agonized cry, his eyes blanking out. With the increase in his upper body mass, his lower body also began to increase. His legs shot back out to the sides, trembling and throbbing. Then, with a second explosion of force and growth, the muscles in his legs, feet and ankles expanded. The crater beneath him grew at a phenomenal rate with the increase of the winds of energy radiating off of him. Gohan gasped in shock when another shock wave hit him. The clouds above Cooler began to circulate around him like a hurricane, the energy he was producing messing up the planet's regular weather patterns. After the change in the skies regular path, more of the tyrant began to change as well. The exocuffs around his wrists developed two horn-like spines that grew out on the elbow sides, as did four more horns on his back. Then, as the tone of his voice began to deepen in his yell, he increased in height even more. The white armor plates around his cranium developed into a four horned crown, with his facial features also becoming defined. His voice soon became rough and, seconds later, after his tail had increased in size to match his new height and mass, the winds of force died. This left the entire area in ruins with a whole new tyrant standing in the original Cooler's place.

As Gohan's eyes fell upon the newly transformed Cooler, his mouth dropped and he stepped back, shocked. Though the transformation was incredible, the energy level he emitted was amazing! The villagers stared in horror at the new alien floating above the crater, debris swirling around him as if got in the funnel of a tornado. They could hardly believe their eyes at what was taking place. Now they had their doubts about whether the boy could handle the monster.

"Whoa!" Gohan exclaimed. He then frowned, narrowing his eyes and taking a stance. "You may be big, but I can still bring you down!" he shouted. Well, his size wasn't what concerned him; it was Cooler's energy level that made him worry.

The massive alien grinned and him, chuckling in that deep, rough voice that sent chills down Gohan's spine. God, he was terrifying as hell. The young Saiyan didn't know anything that could compare. Cooler's grin dropped to a sinister smile, his red eyes locked with Gohan.

"Now it's your turn. DIE!!!" the alien yelled, clenching his teeth and fists. There was a sharp tint punched into his ki when suddenly, a mouth mask appeared, zipping in suddenly and revolving up, covering up everything on his face in between both sides of the white exo-cranium, except his eyes. Now, it was on.

With a loud roar, Cooler launched himself at Gohan. Dust exploded behind him as his flight technique kicked into action, sending him hurling at Gohan at an incredible rate. The tyrant reached Gohan and struck out before the young Saiyan could even react. Cooler drove his right fist straight into Gohan's stomach in uppercut like fashion, before flying on, dragging the boy with him. A couple of the villagers cried out in fright when they saw the young Saiyan get pummeled. The giant alien's flight path was marked by the ground collapsing in the areas where he had flown over. A massive, crevice like trench was punched into the road as Cooler flew across it, his fist still impaling Gohan's torso.

Debris and dust flew as Cooler pushed Gohan all the way to the other side of the village, the two of them going straight through a store. Gohan went in back first, with his massive opponent forcing him on with his fist still buried into his gut. Already he was feeling intense waves of pain flooding into him. As soon as the two emerged on the other side, the store collapsed behind them, most of the wood work reduced to splinters. Seconds later, Cooler slowed himself down a bit, watching Gohan fly next to him out of control, and looking pretty beat up now. Then, while still in flight, Cooler cranked the same arm back he used to hit Gohan, before sending it forward in the form of a punishing power punch. He sent Gohan flying on with more damage added to him. The young Saiyan flew straight into a distant mountain, the stone structure collapsing into a pile of rubble. Cooler hooked to the right, watching for a second as the mountain collapsed before chasing after him. The two of them disappeared into the cloud of dust and debris.

As the stone complex continued to fall and crumble, the dust cloud at the very top parted as Gohan flew up and out, aura flaring. Glaring down at the mountain he was just sent into, the young Saiyan attempted to track his opponent. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough when suddenly, Cooler appeared above him at speeds far greater then his own. Gohan looked up, still flying, just in time to see the alien pull back his left leg and send it at him in the form of a roundhouse kick. Gohan was hit straight in the ribs, the blow tremendous and causing a sonic explosion to occur. He felt his organs were ruptured as he was sent flying in the direction of the village again 500 meters away. When he was sent away with that blow, Cooler followed on, catching up with Gohan easily.

Coming up above him, he pulled both his fists up, lacing his fingers before sending it straight down in a powerful hammer strike. He struck Gohan, hard, sending him plummeting into the streets below. The child disappeared in a shower of dust and debris, as if a land mine had just gone off. Cooler returned to a regular standing position, floating high above the ground and watching the dust settle below. He chuckled evilly, amused at the sight.

"Another one bites the dust…"

As soon as the dust settled, revealing a huge crater amassed with upturned rubble and dirt, the ground began to tremble. Suddenly, as villagers around the crater parted, another small explosion occurred, this time many meters away from the newly made landmark. A blue, glowing figure emerged from the shower of dirt, shooting skywards and stopping to level at Cooler's altitude. He stopped right after he reached that height. Cooler saw the figure appear and grinned under his mask.

"Well…back for more, Saiyan?"

Looking at Gohan, you could see that he was in an even worse state then ever. His top had been torn in two, with only the left half remaining up. The right side had been torn away, revealing half of his chiseled, upper body. He was bruised and battered all over, bleeding from the corner of his lip and was panting slightly. A white aura shone brightly around him, with his fists clenched. When he heard the tyrant's comment, he growled through gritted teeth before relaxing his expression to a tight scowl. His eye twitched.

"That's it!" he stated. His aura suddenly flashed a brilliant blue and the young Saiyan shot at the alien, sword drawn. With a yell, he charged at full speed, intent on putting damage on the titan of terror.

As soon as he reached the alien, Gohan lashed out at him with a up-sideward strike, forcing Cooler to side step it. He then struck out sideways, with the alien ducking that and moving to the child's left. Picking up the pace, Gohan continued lashing out at the alien, only missing as he slowly backed away. Then, with a final stab move, Gohan sent the tyrant leaping back. Cooler took his usual standing stance, watching his opponent catch his breath before he put his weapon away. After which, he powered up some more, raising his ki and charging. Gohan sent a straight, left jab at Cooler, followed by a right body shot, a left hook, a right punch, a left punch and then a right hook. The alien dodged them all, moving from left to right while backing away. Gohan continued on with his assault, sending a left roundhouse kick aimed for the tyrant's head. Cooler ducked, and straightened, watching as Gohan came back with a right, follow up roundhouse kick. He parried that one before moving in and sending a straight punch of his own. The young Saiyan yelled and leapt away, aura still flaring. He avoided the attack barely. When he did and saw Cooler pull back into a stance, the young Saiyan attacked, charging at full speed.

Knowing that he would strike his opponent at the rate he was pulling back into a stance, Gohan prepared to send his punch in. Just then, faster then he could even see, Gohan received a powerful upper cut into his stomach, this one making him reel over and stop his attack instantaneously. His aura dissipated at this, with Cooler grabbing the child's hair and lifting him up. Pulling back his free, right fist, he began sending punches into the child, one after another across the face and in the stomach. Gohan was ruthlessly pounded, blood flying from his mouth whenever he was struck with a really punishing blow. After about 30 torture blows, Cooler released Gohan, having tossed him in the air a bit and watched him fall. Then, pulling back his right fist, he sent a hook, turning into a punch, straight into the child's stomach. It was like setting up a baseball swing. The blow was tremendous, sending Gohan flying into the distance.

The tyrant followed, shooting through the air and reaching his target within seconds. When he reached Gohan, he forward flipped, sending his right heel into Gohan's back in a spin kick. The blow struck the Saiyan child in the stomach, sending him plummeting again. When the spiky haired boy hit the ground, the impact wasn't as great. He just formed a small crater that shook the ground and sent dust hurling into the air. Landing top part first, he engraved a slight outline of his body, cracks extending out from it. As soon as the dust settled it appeared he was unconscious. But the slight tremor in his limbs indicated he was still in this game.

Cooler landed on the same main road up ahead, back turned to where the boy had landed. He glared ahead of him, chuckling at how easy this fight was turning out.

"It appears that I have won this round…" he stated. Just then, Gohan began pushing himself onto his knees. Holding his position there, he chocked and coughed, throwing up blood before eventually staggering to his feet. He felt like he was hit by a train, his vision slightly blurred but recovering when his strength returned. Shaking his head and wobbling a bit, he took a stance. Gritting his teeth, he glared at Cooler's back, seeing him turn a bit and glance behind him. His eyes furrowed. "Or not…"

Gohan trembled on the spot, still angered by the fact that in his base form he was still incapable of taking on the tyrant. He had other considerations but wanted to continue pushing himself. After a moment of standing there, he took a step forward, only to see Cooler turn side on to him and raise his right arm up towards him. His index finger extended and then, there was a blue go. Like bullets being fired from a pistol, blue, small ki balls began shooting straight at Gohan from Cooler's finger. They shot out faster then machine gun rounds, catching Gohan's attention. The Saiyan child leapt into the air, avoiding the first barrage that struck the ground beneath him and past the empty air space he once was, striking some distant hills. The crater beneath him lit up with a series of small explosions, before erupting upwards. Gohan was already sky high by that time and was flying straight for Cooler. With a growl, the young Saiyan pulled his right fist back, a blue glow emitting from the spaces between his fingers. With a yell, he threw his attack straight at Cooler. The energy broke up into blue shards that shot for the tyrant at speeds of shrapnel. The alien just watched as the attack headed towards him and as they struck the ground around him.

There was a tremendous burst of light occurred as the ground lit up in a ball of fire. Simultaneous explosions occurred, consuming Cooler whole in a fiery bombardment. The orange flames leapt into the air, shaping into a mushroom like explosion. It lit up the skies and illuminated the town, the villagers staring at the sight in awe. Within seconds the fire fell back to a blaze on the ground where many craters and holes had been punched. Gohan kept his right hand held down towards the area, teeth gritted as he watched and waited to see what would happen next. When it seemed that he had terminated his opponent, he got the biggest shock of his life when Cooler suddenly burst out from the fire, charging straight at Gohan. With a loud yell he hooked at the Saiyan child with his left, clothes lining him.

Gohan was knocked back by the blow, for which Cooler continued by dropping behind him and sending a right roundhouse kick at his side. This blow hurled Gohan across the skies with new bruises. More waves of pain shot through him like cold water over a rock, but not enough to cripple him. The child eventually stopped on his own using his energy to halt his flight. Upon recovery, Gohan took a stance and looked up to where Cooler had attacked him at least 100 meters away, only to see him charging at him again. In a split second, the alien was upon him, and Gohan was struck in the gut when Cooler thrust his right knee into him. This was followed up by a left elbow to the back that sent Gohan downwards and into the streets of the destroyed village. When he landed, he crashed spray legged in a newly formed crater. He was in shock, and was especially winded. Upon seeing his opponent's impact with the ground, Cooler followed through by falling through the air, foot first and landing directly on Gohan's stomach, ramming him deeper into the earth. The blow shook the ground and ruptured Gohan's internal system. The child coughed up blood before letting out a cry of agony. A second later, he fell into a semi-conscious state, trembling and unable to move.

Cooler stepped off of him, chuckling evilly as he glared down at the battered boy. "Ha! So this is the mighty Super Saiyan that killed my brother. This has to be some kind of sick joke. Some legend," the tyrant said. The mask over his mouth and nose disappeared, clicking into concealment and revealing his face to its fullest. He spat to the side before again glaring hatefully back down at the boy, eyes red. "Well, I guess this leaves one more task left to complete. Destroy this planet and…huh?"

He had thought he had killed the boy, but then when he saw Gohan choke and tremble, he couldn't help but feel overly shocked. When this realization crossed Cooler's mind, he grinned and chuckled, hands on his hips. "Ahh…still alive…well I guess I'll just have to make sport of this…"

Reaching down with his left hand, he picked the child up by the collar and held him in at chest height. From here he stared at the limp body, taking in all the damage his opponent had suffered. After a brief moment, the tyrant held up his right hand and, charged up an attack. A purple ball of energy emerged, hovering above his palm and crackling dangerously. Pink electricity shot around it, with the light from the attack illuminating the entire area. Those people of the village who were watching were backing away, frightened. They knew what horror was about to take place. The alien was going to kill the boy in cold blooded murder. Cooler grinned, holding the boy up higher just so everyone could see.

"Without your hero to protect you now, this entire planet is doomed!!! Now watch as I kill the last threat to me and…!"

"STOP IT!!!" a little voice cried out, stopping Cooler's ranting and catching everyone's attention. The alien glanced down to his right towards the ground several feet away, where he spotted a little girl with blonde hair and blue eyes…Erran. She was staring angrily up at the tyrant, tears in her eyes and teeth bared. Her entire body was trembling, both with anger and fear. "You leave him a lone you big bully!"

Cooler flinched, his attention now firmly set on Erran rather than Gohan. He had to say, she had a lot of guts to stand up to him after watching what had transpired. "Why don't you just get back, rat!"

Erran wasn't shaken by his words and took a step forward. Her mother was watching horror filled from the sidelines, bewildered by how her daughter had reacted to this. "I won't…let you…hurt him!" she sobbed, trying to suppress her fear. Cooler growled and raised his hand toward her, the positioning changing with his index finger pointing at her instead. The purple ball of energy converted to a glowing tip on the end of his finger.

"Oh, so you want some of this! Very well then! I'll just kill you first!" Erran let out a gasp when she saw him direct his finger towards her. The glow of purple energy fell upon her and she stepped back. She tripped over an upturned rock and fell back, crawling away slowly. Cooler grinned when he saw her reaction now. "What happened to all that spirit?" he laughed. "Good-bye!!!" The energy around his finger increased in brightness, beginning to flicker all the more. Erran's mother, Kasia, was immediately at her daughter's side, taking her into her arms in an attempt to protect her. But it would prove to be no good.

Just as Cooler was launching his attack Gohan awakened from his unconscious state and sent a powered up, left roundhouse kick into the tyrant's face. The blow was tremendous in relation with Gohan's state, with the blow sending Cooler staggering back and causing him to fire his attack in to the sky as he released the boy. The young Saiyan leapt out of his grip and landed several meters away as Cooler staggered to a stop, his left cheek bruised and bottom lip bleeding.

"What the…!" Cooler growled.

Gohan, now back to full strength, smirked at Cooler. "Did you really think you could get rid of me that easily, Cooler?!" Gohan shouted at him. The tyrant gasped stepping back. The young Saiyan then frowned, narrowing his eyes down on the alien. "I've been holding back this whole time to see how you fight. Now that I know my own limitations, I can finally be rid of you once and for all! TAKE THIIIISSS!!!" he yelled, throwing both hands forward and unleashing an invisible blast of energy. Cooler was caught completely off guard and was sent flying skywards and into the distance. Gohan growled and powered up. "I won't let you harm these people! This planet is my home, now get off it! ARGH!!!" He took off after the tyrant, intent on beating him.

The blast sent Cooler out of the village and into a valley nearby, Gohan taking this fight so that no one else would get hurt. When Cooler eventually got a hold of his bearings, he saw Gohan flying after him and he growled. He quickly repositioned himself and steadied his fall, floating the rest of the way down to the surface of the planet and landing, dropping in a more concentrated stance. After getting a taste of that previous attack, he had no intention of slipping up at this point.

He saw Gohan land several meters in front of him, dropped into his own stance and glaring at him. Cooler chuckled, his grin seen plastered plainly on his face and confidence nestled deep in his stare.

"You're making a big mistake," the tyrant stated. "You shouldn't be throwing your life away like this. Just except your fate…" Gohan spat blood out of his mouth, shaking his head and hardening his glare on his opponent.

"You're overconfident Cooler. You shouldn't be underestimating me, for I too have been suppressing my own power up till this moment. I just wanted to see what you could do," the young Saiyan stated, before narrowing his eyes more. "And for a fact that you never gave me a chance to power up or show you my true power…"

Cooler grinned. "And what makes you think I will let you reach your full power? I have you beat already in your present state!" Gohan snorted.

"Well, it only takes me a brief moment to reach my level! You want to see?" Cooler grinned.

"What could you possibly show me that will put an end to my thoughts of victory?!" Gohan growled, fists clenching.

"THIS!!! HAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!" the young Saiyan cried, a golden aura erupting around him and expanding in a burst. Golden bolts of electricity began radiating off of him like a field, with his power level taking a massive jump. This was accompanied by the changes made in his outward appearance, these shocking the lizard tyrant standing a ways from him. Gohan's hair stiffened and rose a bit, with its texture changing from black to gold. His eyes, once black orbs, were now teal and shining every time his aura swept past his face. Dust and debris flew from underneath him as a small crater was punched at his feet with the intensity of his transformation. As soon as he had transformed and Cooler had reacted to it in kind, Gohan glared back down at him with fury evident in his gaze. "This chapter is over for you Cooler! You're the one who's finished!"

Cooler growled at took a harder stance. He too powered up, a purple aura springing up around him and burning as fiercely as Gohan's. However, his ki level didn't reach Gohan's and was easily dwarfed by the young Saiyan. Even so, he didn't know that. "Over!? NO! It's over when I say it's over! I've got five planets to destroy by the end of the day, including this one! I have nothing to fear, I've come across millions like you!"

Gohan held up his fist threateningly. "Yes you have! But count me as the last!!!"

Cooler's mouth and face guard came back up, shielding him. With a burst of energy, Cooler hurled himself at Gohan in a charge, moving into attack. The Super Saiyan floated up slightly, ready to meet his opponent's blunt assault. The tyrant struck out with a left knee, with Gohan meeting it with a right elbow. Cooler then threw a right straight punch after pulling his knee back, only for Gohan to spin around and crack the side of his left fist against it, stopping Cooler's attacks. Gohan's parrying was swift and brief, and when he blocked that last attack, he then sent a powerful, right hook across the alien's chest. The mighty being was sent soaring skywards, with the young Saiyan in hot pursuit.

Gohan appeared above Cooler as he flew on, the tyrant caught completely off guard at the sudden speed the child had picked up. Reacting quickly, he threw a left punch straight for the Saiyan, only for Gohan to faze out and reappear behind the tyrant, directly in his path. Pulling his left leg back, far Gohan sent it up into Cooler, knocking him skywards. The tyrant let out a yell of pain as he spun and twirled, stopping many stories above the earth. Turning around, he prepared for another attack. The young Saiyan was quickly upon him, appearing out of thin air in front of Cooler and sending a straight punch into his stomach. Cooler was struck full on by the blow and sent upwards a bit. He put his hands over the new wound, only to receive a quick, strike kick in the face. He flew up higher, with Gohan still following.

Within moments, the two warriors were above the clouds. Cooler was able to stop at this point and as soon as he broke through the barrier of white fluff, flew backwards to create distance. Stopping at a particular point, he watched Gohan burst through the white cover in front of him, soaked from moisture. Soaking himself, Cooler pulled back his right hand and threw it forward with a yell. With this, he unleashed a concentrated cluster blast, the blue energy that had formed exploding as hundreds of small ki bullets shot straight for Gohan. The young Saiyan was ready for this. He effortlessly produced a shield where he floated, which sprung up around him and blocked all of the small, yet powerful blasts. Each ki bullet exploded uselessly against his defense, and as soon as they were all finished, Gohan lowered his shield and prepared to attack again. Cooler was infuriated that his own assault had failed.

Closing his eyes, Gohan brought his hands up and began making slow, relaxed hand movements. He moved his hands around him in flowing motions, gathering energy and a feel of his surroundings. The clouds around him presented a perfect opportunity to try his new technique. From which, he gathered the moisture from the clouds and, after a few more hand gestures, took control of them. Harnessing the moisture inside the clouds, he pulled his left hand from behind him and upwards, the concentrated liquid flying straight at Cooler in the form of a wave. The tyrant was shocked when he saw the wave of water approach him. Not knowing how to block it, he crossed his arms over his face as the water crashed into him. Gohan moved his hands about, watching as he influenced the attack. The water enveloped Cooler into a waterspout, which began spinning him and spinning him. After a while of battering him inside of it, Gohan halted it, throwing his left hand forward and clenching it into a tight fist. The water froze into ice instantaneously.

After it was frozen, Gohan pulled his right hand about and, with his aura still warping around him, threw his it forward. The concentrated energy he had built up unleashed as he fired his _Daisenko _attack. The blue blast flew at the pillar of floating ice and struck it, disappearing into it. At first nothing happened, but after several cracks began to form on the pillar, it exploded with incredible force, sending ice shards everywhere. A highly damaged Cooler emerged, plummeting and yelling as he fell with the ice, which quickly fell to pieces and rained down on the planet in the form of snow.

After falling many stories, and out of the clouds, he slowed himself and stopped, glaring up to a higher altitude where he expected Gohan to be. He was to be proven wrong again when Gohan appeared in front of him and sent a punishing, left hook across his face. After which he moved with Cooler and sent a killer kick into his side and gut. The blow made Cooler reel over, winded. Clutching his stomach, the tyrant backed away, choking and groaning. Using his bodily influence, his mask disappeared from his face, allowing him to breathe properly and cough up the blood in his mouth. Then, after ridding himself of the excess fluids in his mouth, he glared up at Gohan, more blood running down from his mouth and eyes glowing fiercely. Gohan just glared, aura warping fiercely around him with bolts of gold continuing to radiate off of him.

Cooler trembled, growling through gritted teeth. "You…" he began, roughly. "You have been holding out this whole time…Super Saiyan?" Gohan nodded.

"If I wanted to beat you in the beginning when you had me pinned, I could have done so in my normal form. I just wanted to transform and show you what I really was, just so you remember and never come back!" Gohan stated. Cooler grinned and chuckled.

"So…I've been outclassed all along. But do you really think I'm afraid of a stupid Super Saiyan?!" he growled, laughing some more. Gohan felt that he had something else cooked up. Was it another transformation? Or was it just a hunch? Cooler grinned, his mask appearing once more and covering his face, except his eyes. "NOOOOO!!! NOW DIE! RAAAAAAGGGGGHHHH!!!!!" he roared, throwing his left hand forward and unleashing a purple blast of energy, a destructive wave. The blast ripped through the air and consumed Gohan, not exploding but later dissipating when its connection was severed.

When it finally did, the young Saiyan glared ahead at the sender of the attack, but saw that the tyrant wasn't there anymore. Tracking Cooler's energy signal, the young Saiyan looked up into the skies above him, knowing he was there. When the mist of smoke from the alien's previous attack lifted, the Saiyan child was able to see what was happening. When he spotted Cooler about 50 stories above him, he was immediately shocked when he saw what he was holding: a massive, fiery energy ball, shimmering brightly and packing massive amounts of energy. It floated several feet above Cooler's grasp, obviously a weapon of his own creation. Gohan gasped, shocked at the sight. The tyrant laughed.

"Sleeping on the job, Super Saiyan?" he yelled, chuckling. "I can gather energy and create far more powerful attacks faster then my brother ever could! This is what I call my _Super Nova_! Not even my brother's death ball can measure up to this attacks' might! Your distraction will prove to be your biggest mistake yet! NOW DIE WITH THIS PLANET!!!" he roared, throwing his hand down and sending the massive, fiery colored ball straight down at Gohan. It plummeted through the air at a phenomenal rate, with Cooler's strength backing it up. "SEE YOU IN HELL SAIYAN!!!"

Gohan saw the attack approaching him. It was coming up fast, with no hint of stopping. Soon, the light and the attack itself was upon him, the raging winds it created whipping at him and his clothes. His aura was blown back by the amount of momentum it had. Just looking at it was a terrifying sight. But, Gohan wasn't going to give up. He had to stop it. So, as soon as he saw the moon sized attack come with several meters of him, Gohan powered up some more. A light-gold, radioactive glow emitted off of his body as his aura exploded more ferociously around him, accompanied by the lightning storm of golden bolts of electricity. With a yell of power and courage, Gohan flew up to meet Cooler's attack and threw both his hands into it, the attack burned in his grip as it pushed him back ever so slowly. It was at this moment, Gohan realized the attack was packing more then just the power to destroy the planet. With a growl, Gohan powered up more, only to find himself being pushed closer and closer towards the ground. He growled through gritted teeth when the ball of energy suddenly grew. Cooler's laughter echoed all around him.

"HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!! Struggle all you want! It's over! That's what you get for disgracing me and my family!" the tyrant roared. He saw his attack come in contact with the planet, the young Saiyan pressed right underneath it.

At the front of the attack, baring the full brunt of its force, Gohan kicked his feet into the ground, keeping himself upright and holding the fiery death ball back. The raging winds bit at the earth with the intense heat of the attack burning against the opposing force. Gohan growled, feeling the earth crumble beneath him as debris, dust and rubble flew around him. It was as if the whole planet was going to explode. Well, it would if he let this thing hit the core.

"_I will not…let this fiend…destroy any more lives! His evil hand…has stretched over others…far enough!!!"_ Gohan yelled in his mind between his burst efforts to keep the attack back. He growled, his muscles throbbing and bulging as he applied more strength. However, the earth beneath him crumbled and he felt himself falling. _"He's murdered…millions of innocent people…!"_ The ground broke and cracked, his feet sinking in deeply and threatening to give way. Gohan pushed up more. _"Never give up…never give in…!"_

Cooler grinned and, aiming his left hand at the energy ball, pumped the final, huge push into it. The invisible wave of energy soared down, striking the ball which increased its size, density and momentum. The tyrant yelled. "I AM THE STRONGEST IN THE UNIVERSE!!!"

The increase of the ball's strength sent Gohan toppling into the earth, the fiery attack crushing him. More rubble and debris flew outwards as the crust of the planet began to crumble. The entire planet shook, with the people in the village nearby feeling the ground quake, as well as see what looked to be the sun punching into their planet. It seemed that Cooler had won.

The tyrant laughed out loud, his face mask flipping back and disappearing, revealing his wide grin and expression of victory. He raised his fists and turned, laughing heartedly into the skies so that the Gods themselves could hear him. "YES! This planet will soon be destroyed at my hands! And the Super Saiyans shall be defeated, a feat not even my own brother could accomplish! I shall rule this quadrant and destroy every opposing planet in my path! No one shall rise against me now! Not even…huh?! Cooler looked back down to his attack, expecting to see it borrowing into the ground. Instead, he saw it popping out of the ground, the wind direction changing so that it hit him. He gasped when he saw what was happening. "WHAT! IMPOSSIBLE!!!"

Gohan was back on his feet, and had hit harder ground. He pushed off of it, using his own back strength to help him. His arms, chest and face were pressed hard up against the giant energy ball. It was still driving into him, but he had gained control over it. It was in his grasp, and he was going to use it. With a yell of agony, Gohan forced it forward, pushing it out so that his hands held it. Now that it was in place, the young Saiyan pushed it up so that he threw it only a few feet into the air. When it began coming back down to him, he threw his right hand back then drove it forward, unleashing a concentrated blue energy blast. The spear end of the energy blast struck the surface of the attack before growing and growing slowly until Gohan began pouring everything he had into it.

Gohan's mind was a whirl, finishing the last part of his last sentence.

"…_and never talk DEFEAT!!!"_ he yelled in his mind, growling and glaring up into the fiery ball of energy he held back with his blast.

At first the _Super Nova_ and Gohan's attack were even. But then, when Gohan chanted these words and the words of his symbolic attack, the day was decided.

Referring back to what Cooler had shouted to him, the young Saiyan retorted in kind. "SAVE A PLACE FOR ME IN HELL, WHY DON'T YOU?! AFTER YOU COOLER!!!! DAISENKO HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!" Gohan roared, his voice drowned out as his attack exploded full force. His entire aura flashed blue as he poured all the energy he had packed into one blast. His attack punched straight into Cooler's attack and sent it right back at him. The blue blast sent the Super Nova straight back at its owner faster then it had came at Gohan. It lit the sky up and rumbled as it progressed on. Cooler was shocked.

"NO! NOOO! NOOOOOOOO!!!!" he shouted, turning to his attack and pulled his hands back. "CURSE YOU SAIYAN!!!" With that, he threw it forward, attempting to push his attack back. But just then, his own attack struck him and enveloped him. The tyrant sunk into the fiery ball where he was suspended in its centre. Soon, he and his planet destroying attack were sent into space, pushed for miles and miles without stopping before suddenly reaching the end of their journey near Venus. It was here, his attack reacted with Gohan's blast penetrating it and exploding. The skies were lit up, as if a real Super Nova had just occurred. Cooler was annihilated with the explosion.

"NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" he roared, his body burning away and reducing to nothing but ash before that too was turned into particles. His voice disappeared with him and echoed into the distance. Everything turned white with the 100,000,000 kiloton explosion, and finally, after the Super Nova had taken a Nebula like formation, it died out, leaving everything back the way it was.

Back on earth, when the light from the explosion had finally died out, the results of the battle was revealed. Standing right where he was when he was being pressed under the attack, Gohan, the four time savior of the earth, powered down and relaxed, his arms lowering to his sides. A smile streaked across his face as he gazed up into space. Even though he was in pain, and fatigued beyond belief, he couldn't help but feel that he had accomplished something extraordinary again. He sighed and shook his head.

Reaching into the brown bag at his side, he pulled out a Senzu bean and ate it. He soon felt the sweet relief of rejuvenation flow through him; his wounds healing and all bruises, cuts, torn muscles and broken bones recovering. The fight with Cooler had given him the greatest training he could ever receive in a lifetime. Even though he had been beaten to a pulp, it was all the experience he could ever ask for. Besides, he felt he had enough for the week. Perhaps he could spend the next seven days resting up.

Looking up again, he took in a deep breath of air and smirked. His Saiyan side appeared to have the greater influence over him in this aftermath. "So uncivilized…"

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_

****

* * *

_**Power levels:**_

**(Battle with Cooler):**

**Cooler:**

Cooler (3rd Form): 11,850,000

Cooler (Final Form): 24,000,000

**Gohan:**

Base: 15,000,000

Base (Full Power): 18,000,000

Super Saiyan: 32,000,000

**Sauza:**

Base: 100,000

Base (Full Power): 180,000

**Neize:**

Base: 50,000

Base (Full Power): 80,000

**Dore:**

Base: 40,000

Base (Full Power): 70,000

**Goku:**

Base: 7,500,000

Kaioken X 50: 10,800,000

Super Saiyan: 16,000,000

**Vegeta:**

Base: 8,000,000

Base (Full Power): 9,500,000

**Piccolo:**

Base: 8,000,000

Sync with Nail: 10,000,000

**Krillin:**

Base: 950,000

Base (Full Power): 1,200,000

**Tien:**

Base: 500,000

Base (Full Power): 890,000

**Yamcha:**

Base: 450,000

Base (Full Power): 825,000

* * *

_**Power levels:**_

**(Present but after Frieza Fight):**

**Frieza:**

Base: 220,000

Base (Full Power): 530,000

Frieza (2nd form): 1,700,000

Frieza (3rd form): 2,300,000

Frieza (Final Form- 5 percent): 3,500,000

Frieza (Final Form- 50 percent): 6,000,000

Frieza (Final Form- 75 percent): 9,000,000

Frieza (Final Form- 100 percent): 12,000,000

Cyborg Frieza: 6,800,000

**Mirai Trunks:**

Base (w/sword): 7,500,000

Super Saiyan (w/sword): 12,500,000

**King Cold:**

Base: 4,800,000


	19. Training Ends

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Training Ends_

The battle with Cooler had finally come to a close, ending yet another chapter to the story. It was a big relief as well. Everyone on this planet felt that they had had enough of Frieza and his family causing trouble, and so did Gohan. As of now, all three tyrants had been terminated.

As soon as Gohan had fully recovered from his battle, he flew back to the village. The people, who had been watching from afar from their village, had all come out to meet their hero. Staring up into the skies, they saw him fly down to them, and land in the middle of the main road. He touched down softly, the people gathering and forming a perimeter around him. They all whispered and murmured amongst each other, with the young Saiyan looking around at them all, a smile on his face. They were all smiling too and, even though no one knew where it started, a series of clapping rang out and turned into applause. Everyone congratulated the boy for his efforts. This seemed to lighten him up a bit more, making him feel at ease.

Kasia and Erran came up to him from the crowds, accompanied by several other villagers. Gohan shook hands with a couple of them who thanked him for fighting off the invaders. The boy nodded up to those who shook his hand before turning to Kasia and Erran. The two smiled at him and bowed thanks, to which Gohan bowed in return.

"Thank you for saving our village," Kasia said softly. The three straightened and looked at each other. The young Saiyan nodded to them, the background murmuring of the people around him still going on. Even so, he focused on Kasia and Erran, eyes firmly fixated on the pair.

"You're welcome," Gohan replied. "I have a knack for showing up during worse times. I'm beginning to think that I'm some sort of bad guy magnet…" he continued.

Kasia chuckled. "That can't be true," she exclaimed. "Bad things happen, that's just it. You can't stop things from happening, preferably everything. That's like trying to stop the time." Gohan shrugged.

"I guess. But I know one thing I can do and that _is_ stop time…though only briefly. Eventually that clock has got to continue on ticking, thus we keep living, and I'll have to face these types of situations again," Gohan stated, thumbing back over the horizon where the villagers saw him wrestling with the Super Nova energy ball. Kasia nodded in agreement to his comments, same as other people who were listening. After seeing what he could do, no one doubted his abilities, as well as being able to stop time. All his talk months ago when he was fighting the Ginyu Force with his friends should be sort of a reminder (fortunately the villagers weren't there but believed him anyway).

Gohan then turned to Erran, walking over to her and still bearing that smile. The blonde haired girl moved closer to her mother, hiding herself and blushing as Gohan stared at her. They both exchanged friendly gazes, with the young Saiyan bowing to the girl. "Thank you Erran. You were really brave for standing up to that monster. I wouldn't have been able to defeat him if it wasn't for you…"

Erran turned to him a bit more, still smiling. "Y-You're welcome…" Gohan tilted his head to her, his eyes shimmering.

"_Strange…she does act shy…but she's got a strong spirit somewhere inside her. It must act via reaction to an unfamiliar or dangerous situation. It's a common occurrence…"_

Just then, Gohan turned to look around at the other villagers, as well as the village itself. He blinked in surprise when he watched on of the stores collapse and bury itself in its own debris and a cloud of dust. Everyone jumped when they heard the store collapse, and turned in the direction Gohan was looking. The young Saiyan chuckled and placed his hands on his hips, walking out of the perimeter and towards the fallen building. He kicked at the broken pieces of timber, studying its make in former design and type.

"Sorry, I must have over done it during my fights…gosh," he spoke, turning back to the crowds, rubbing the back of his head. "I do so much apologize…"

"That's okay," a man, with brown hair, a mustache and in his thirties called out in assurance. "We can rebuild everything that was destroyed or damaged today. We started off with very little many years ago; therefore we can certainly manage from here…" Everyone around him nodded. However, Gohan didn't want to go off feeling he was the cause of this. He held out his hand towards them.

"No, no…please. I'd like to help out more," Gohan exclaimed with a bright smile. "I broke it, so I'll fix it. Just leave it to me. I'll have your village brand spanking new in no time! You can count on it…"

Everyone stared at him in surprise and puzzlement, scratching their heads to how he would be able to fix up 5 shops, 7 houses, 6 fields and 5 roads in 8 hours…

* * *

Well, it seemed as though the young Saiyan was able to manage his new tasks pretty well, better than anyone had ever expected. He had this thing down easy, no questions asked, and no one had even considered him to be such a great architect. He was more of a fighter than anything else. However, that didn't stop him from. The first pieces in the village he started off with were repairing the destroyed and/or damaged buildings.

Flying over to a nearby forest, the young Saiyan gathered up at least ten red woods and brought them back. Setting them down just outside the village, he immediately set to work. Using his bare hands and fists, he easily turned one of the large logs into a pile of timber, to which he began reconstructing one of the stores. Within an hour, with the help of several hundreds nails and a couple of tools, he restored it to its original and formal glory. After a quick paint job, he moved onto the next store. The largest of the shops he had to rebuild had to be the three story mini-mart, which belonged to a single family who ran it together. He focused all his efforts into reconstructing each and every store. Gohan followed the step by step routine through the use of a photographic memory and the knack for being a good craftsman. First came the foundation repairs and connections, as well as the drains and pipelines. Next came the framework for the standard building, followed up by the building of the levels, one on top of the other. Making sure it was strong and sturdy enough; he proceeded with applying the walls and roof. Within that hour, the building was standing strong and tall, fully functional to stand against the cold of winter and the heat of summer.

The second part of his tasks at hand was his disposing of the bodies of Dore, Neize and Sauza. He burnt them atop of a hill, paying his respects before returning some time later to continue with his chores. He continued with applying his efforts to fixing the houses that had been damaged due to the fight. He asked for no help and didn't accept it either. He was a one man worker. Within another two hours, he had completed rebuilding and fixing the damaged houses. The people whose homes had been the target during the fight were grateful for his hard work. But not stopping to rest just yet, Gohan went on to fixing up the roads. He was breaking records for being the only man…or boy on earth to build four hours in less than four hours.

The roads were easily fixed up. With the crowd of villagers watching curiously from behind, Gohan took his stand at the very end of the main road that cut through the village. To where it began and ended, it had been ravaged by the fierce battle with both Cooler and his Squadron. The young Saiyan knew exactly how to fix it. Using his mastery over the elements and energy of the earth, he took one of his familiar fighting stances and focused his energy. Shifting his feet across the earth, he flowed through a series of hand and bodily movements before, cupping his hands behind him, threw them both forward. He unleashed his energy in one burst, a ripple in the earth expanding out from in front of him and running down to road. Scooping up dirt, rock, rubble and ground, the pot holes, craters and upturned earth was refitted, refilled and evened out. The wave of energy that Gohan sent down the road fixed everything up instantly, leaving a nice, flat path for the villagers and vehicles to cross. He smiled in satisfaction at this job, and was applauded by the people who had been watching. He did the same to several other roads and pathways, clearing the ways as well as filling in the gaps. It was all done according to his perspective. With all of this accomplished, he moved onto the next task.

The fields, crops and valleys were his next chore. Strangely enough, he enjoyed this kind of work. Since it involved the repairing of the land, his efforts were the least he could contribute in thanks for everything it has done for him. Most of the ground of the fields that he had fought around, on or had targeted was burnt, upturned and disheveled. It wasn't suitable for growing crops or other sources of food anymore. He had to correct the most damaged ones manually, while tending to the others with simple uses of earth leveling.

* * *

Gohan was making short work of his duties on one of the fields. Using a hoe as his implement, he dug away long trench lines through the badly mangled fields which he had sanitized not long ago. Now that the ash ridden ground had been cleared up, it left him with the simple task of creating narrow furrows in which he could later plant the seeds.

Because he was at this for some time, and for a fact that he didn't want to get his clothes dirty, he had discarded his white gi top. Even though he created a new on, he had no use for it at this point. Along with his sword and waist sash, he folded them up and set them at the fixed wall surrounding the edges of the field he was working on. The gate had been torn away during the fight, yet another thing he would have to fix. Now topless, he was hard at work at plowing the field. As soon as he got this one done, he could get the others done quicker since he had already familiarized himself with this job.

Stopping for a moment, Gohan wiped a bit of sweat that had fallen in front of his forehead. He also brushed some of the bangs of hair away, wondering how hot it actually was now. His body was covered with a small amount of sweat, creating a nice sheen that would appeal to almost anyone. On the other hand, his chiseled form would perhaps appeal more to girls around his age then anyone else.

Speaking of which, a small audience had gathered just outside the fence to watch him work. After a brief stretch out, Gohan got back to work. Leaning up against the stone wall to his left, Erran and a couple of her friends were watching him with awe and admiration. Propping up her elbows on top of the wall and placing her head in her hands, Erran gazed dreamily at Gohan and sighed, blinking. "Wow…isn't he cute or what?" she asked her raven haired friend beside her. Erran's friend had black hair tied back in a pony tail, and was wearing her casual purple dress with blue linings. She nodded in agreement, tilting her head a bit while they watched Gohan dig away.

"Yeah…he's amazing…" Erran giggled and glanced over at her.

"You can say that again," the blonde haired girl exclaimed softly, so that Gohan didn't hear them. Making sure he didn't, she looked back at him, only to be entranced by his good looks again. "At first…I never thought boys like him could ever exist in reality. He's something you'd really find in a fantasy…"

"Any fantasy," her friend continued with a similar dreamy expression. The two of them sighed simultaneously as they continued to watch Gohan work away.

It would take a bit more work, but he would have this field done in no time…

* * *

_**Two Hours later…**_

In no time at all, all fields had been fixed, tended too and watered. Gohan saw to it that everything was back to how it was before Cooler and his mercenary gang showed up. He and the rest of the village were overly satisfied. To add to it, everyone else felt kind of guilty that this one boy had done them so much out of kindness. He was someone they could really learn from. Taking a step back, Gohan admired all of his hard day's work. Fixing the buildings was the hardest of the lot, but he eventually got it all done. As for the walls and gates surrounding the fields that were damaged, he fixed them with a few gap fillings of rock etc. The gates were basically poles tied together. He improved these entrances by using bamboo, since they were so hard to break. It was a neat element to add to the field perimeters.

After everything was put back together, Gohan joined the crowds of people on the main road, ready for his departure back home. Dressing and belting his sword back around him, he smiled at the villagers in front of him and bowed to them.

"It was a pleasure meeting you all," Gohan exclaimed, looking up to see them all still smiling at him. "I hope the repairs are to your liking…"

"You've worked hard enough, lad," an old woman called from the crowd. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"You should probably get going now," another, young man said. "Your parents may be worried sick about you." Gohan just grinned and waved away that statement.

"Ahh…they'll be find," Gohan exclaimed. "I'm always out, so they don't concern themselves with my business." Kasia nodded to him, walking up so that she stood directly in front of him.

"Well, whatever the case, your family will need you. We appreciate everything you've done for us. So thank you again," the woman said. Gohan smiled and nodded affirmatively.

"It's my pleasure." Suddenly, he felt someone tug on his sleeve and looked down. There, he saw Erran smiling up at him, eyes wavering. After a few blinks of confusion and an exchange of stares, Erran stood up on her toes and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek before scampering back to her mother. She smiled over at Gohan with a light blush, waving to him. Gohan smiled and waved back to her, before sending a final wave to the crowds.

"Good-bye everyone!" he called, turning and sprinting off down the road. The whole crowd waved and shouted good-bye before seeing him power up and take off into the skies. With a trail of energy marking his path, Gohan disappeared into the distance, leaving the village he had saved far behind.

* * *

_**Months on**_

The years left for training passed by quickly. The Z-fighters used these last months to focus on that one goal, with little time spent for pleasures. This left all those members of the Z-Team who could not fight alone with very little to do except provide support. Bulma helped repair the GR and equipment whenever Vegeta wrecked it, Master Roshi continued giving advice to Krillin during his training, Puar continued to hang about his friend Yamcha, and Oolong continued his life with Turtle on Kame Island, Chi-Chi, perhaps considered the head of the household since Goku and Gohan were mostly out, would complete her cleaning tasks, prepping food and occasional spar with Gohan. Korin kept handing Yajirobee errands to go on and the Ox-King continued to run his Kingdom. As for everyone else, they continued running through their sessions as planned.

Vegeta, as mentioned above, was training hard, pushing himself and breaking through barriers. It was only a couple of months after the Cooler incident did he finally transform into a Super Saiyan. His power upgrade was incredible, exceeding Goku's by barely a fraction, and exceeding Piccolo's power level by far. That one part made him happy. He was proud of his achievement. From here on in, he trained to influence himself in his new transformed state, gaining control over it and retaining the form for as long as possible. It was also during this time did a remarkable thing happen. One day after long hours of training in the GR, the Prince of all Saiyans took a nice relaxing bathe in the sauna. It just so happened Bulma followed him in and…one thing led up to another and…no further comments are needed. After which there was a private wedding ceremony and honeymoon. The next day, Vegeta hit the GR for the rest of the three years till the androids' arrival.

Goku and Piccolo continued training at Mount Paoz. Closely watched by Chi-Chi from the sidelines whenever she was outside, she oversaw the two of them battling it out in the surrounding valleys. Although she rarely saw them at all because of their lightning fast speed, she had reasons to believe they were out there. The shockwaves and explosions were a big give away. Goku had increased his power about 75 to what it originally was. Piccolo felt the same and was feeling stronger then ever before.

Tien and Chouzu were also training hard, working on their skills and strength training. Tien had managed to raise his entire fighting attributes three fold. His fast progress was most unexpected. Chouzu was the same, but remained under strengthened. When the end of the year was coming to a close, Tien figured that maybe it was best for Chouzu to hang back when it came to battling the androids. The little fighter agreed, saying he would stay at Master Roshi's place during the whole android ordeal. He felt guilty that he wasn't strong enough to handle the androids, but Tien assured him by saying that it was for the better, and for a fact that he didn't want his friend to get killed, like he did when they fought against the Saiyans.

Yamcha had found his way back into the game finally. When it came to the close of the three years, he felt stronger, faster and more skilled then he had ever been before. His shared use of several of the GR's allowed him to get all the training he needed. The recommendations his friends had made was a sure pay off and he was breaking records.

Krillin's time at Kame House was somewhat of a big hit with him. Not only did he get all the training he needed every day, but that large amount of space and fresh air lifted his spirits. The amount of time he spent on that secluded island was quite refreshing. If you were to get rid of Master Roshi, it _would_ be paradise. He was even able to fit in some surfing and sunbathing in his three-year, everyday life. He was glad he had taken up permanent residence at Kame House.

As for Gohan, the young Saiyan's training life had taken an even better turn. He was so much stronger then he was before and was on a positive streak. His ingenuity and unorthodox training methods gave him an edge above others. He would rarely train in his Super Saiyan form, because he believed training in normal form strengthened him faster. It also packed him with more endurance to handle his transformed state. It was also noticed that when he transformed, his stance changed to a more preferred one to match the new level he reached. It switched from basic to a more advanced stance, which came to him so much easier. However, the change in fighting styles meant little to him, as it rarely increased his advantage over another. He stated _"No fighting style is greater then the other. It all depends on the level of skill the fighter and creator of the style is on."_ He learned this through spars and various practice sessions. Along the days of his training, he spent most of his time on his own, with some days he spent with Goku and Piccolo, Krillin, Vegeta and Chi-Chi. Mostly they just trained, and on some occasions they talked. Whenever Piccolo meditated, Gohan was there with him. Whenever Gohan needed company, he would go to his father or mother (and Piccolo on other occasions). Whenever he wanted to look up on things and share a talk on other subjects, he would visit Vegeta and Krillin. The advice given to him, as well as the presence of his friends and family, put ease to his whirling thoughts. He even went up to the Lookout to visit Dende, just as he had promised. He would spend hours talking on a particular day before getting back to training. It seemed that he had things well balanced, since he was spending some time with Bulma studying up on technology and computers, as well as staying at home doing some studying; although he never really got into it.

Just so he would never get rusty or slack off, he would always fight a copy of himself that bore the knowledge of all his techniques and possessed all his strength. He had punishing tests of his own, by battling a voodoo based copy that inflicted more damage and pain on him then it did the copy. It was through this he learnt never to forget what he was fighting to learn and what he was fighting to protect. It was a reminder. As for his signature moves, he had a clear list of them. These included: _Daisenko, Scattered Volley Shot, Flamethrower, Sword Energy Slash, Shining Strike_ (which involved his influenced over the minerals in the ground to create those diamond shields and waves), a new blast he learnt from Piccolo called _Masenko Ha,_ and his father's signature move the _Kamehameha _wave. And finally, his signature combination attacks he used to cripple his enemies included his: _Soaring Dragon Strike, Jackhammer Fist _and_ Shadow Strike._

Hours at night were also spent with meditation. As usual he would strengthen his mind and understanding of fighting. Already well influenced in the art of battle, as well as being battle hardened himself after facing off against so many villains and tyrants already, Gohan was positive that he would do well in this upcoming fight with the androids. It was surprising that the others never knew about the arrival of Cooler, which made him wonder what they were doing on that day. He told them all about it, and he learnt that they had a hunch but never went to investigate.

The days of darkness were looming in, and neither human nor Saiyan of the Z-Team were letting up one moment of training. The last day before May 12th was spent with rest and relaxation by most of the gang, except for Vegeta, Goku, Piccolo and Gohan. They managed to squeeze in a few more hours of training before sleep. Gohan spent his sleep time with meditating and recovering and remained at his castle when he said to his parents he was out on an errand with Dende. The next morning, the Z-fighters saddled up and headed for their island destination.

Only when they got to the island, the team never expected the shocks that they would run into…

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	20. Android Abomination

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Android Abomination_

On an island nine miles South-West of South City, a city built up under the shadow of a volcano continued to rest peacefully. Now at 10 o'clock in the morning, things were going on splendidly. Already people were beginning to wake up and return to their working, busy lives. Note that the population of this large city is 150,000, and that there was plenty of room for two times more. However, being on one of the sovereign state's, miles out in open see, far beyond the call of its capitals did tend to make enforcing its laws and strengthening its boundaries a lot more difficult.

Well, everything was going on well, and everyone was moving about casually. Suddenly, a girl's scream erupted followed by a series of titanic explosions. The entire West side of the city exploded into 15 atomic like fireballs, all of them knocking down buildings, punching craters into highways and disintegrating thousands of people. Seconds later, these explosions died, only to be replaced by more, as if a bombing raid made by an enemy army had just been ordered. True it was an enemy, but not any enemy you would find in your everyday Communist or Fascist country.

Moving down into the cityscapes, you could count out five lone figures, all of which were laying waste to the buildings and suburbs around them. People lay dead or dying around them, crying out in agony as fires raged on in the background. No body knew who they were, nor did anybody know where they came from. But as the messenger from the future predicted, the shadows of darkness have come at last. However, it was far more terrifying then anybody could imagine.

For one, there weren't two androids, but five, all of which were bearing different appearances to the other. The first of the five, who was the leader, stood a top a high vantage point that happened to be a freshly destroyed building. The stacked rubble provided him a grand view of his conquest over the people of this island, as he oversaw the destruction of the city and the wellbeing of his creations. He wore brownish-grey slacks, a yellow, baggy, yellow and red striped shirt with long sleeves, a brown vest tied at the front, shined shoes and a black, long hat that resembled much of a beaver hat worn by the British Royal guards only it was mate of plastic material. He had regular skin that was wrinkly, indicating his age to be around 70, plus he had long, frizzy white hair and blue, cold eyes. The Red Ribbon Army insignia donned the forehead of his hat. The second android standing on the first android's right was a huge man, fairly muscular and looking quite intimidating in his attention like state. He wore black, spandex shirt and pants with green, cross plastic and metal armor, green boots and wrist cuffs and had the R&R insignia on his left armor chest peg. He had blue eyes like the first one, and a red Mohawk. The third android standing on the first android's left side was a girl, around Frieza's final form height and, from any man's perspective, was looking quite attractive. She wore black, tight, leather pants, black, shin high boots, a black turtle neck, that was tight and quite revealing, with belts and buckles strapped around her midsection, with a couple hanging loosely around her hips. She also wore white bandages around her wrists and hands, which were also tight. With blue eyes the same as her predecessors, she had black, shortly cut hair with a whole mass of it hanging over her left eye. To finish the description, in her belts there were shuriken weaponry, most commonly ninja stars, kunai and two Lajinaa knives, one on each side and slipped into sheaths for safety. A forth android was a young man, standing a way's from the first three and firing golden ki blasts into the surrounding building. Each blast ignited with incredible force. He wore blue, leather pants, sport shoes with green socks, brown belts around his hips with a holster holding a Walther PPK pistol, a black T-shirt with white, long sleeves and an orange handkerchief around his neck. He had black, long hair and, like all the other androids, he had the R&R insignia and those same, cold, blue eyes. Last but not least was another girl android with blond hair and extremely attractive, and bore a similar resemblance to the forth android. She wore black, tight pants of thin material, brown boots, a blue leather skirt, a black T-shirt with white and black striped sleeves, and a blue leather vest. Like the forth android, she was leveling buildings and causing a hell of a lot of havoc like the others. It seemed that no force on this planet could stop them.

The head android, who was standing on top of the pile of rubble smirked when he saw a petrol station on down one of the roads go up in flames. First there was a column of fire that shot sky high before expanding and turning into a mushroom cloud. After that it died down to a wild, blazing fire that consumed the entire block the station was situated in. The android responsible for the petrol station's destruction was the girl with the blonde hair, who was glaring down that street with her hand held out and smoking on the palm's end.

"Excellent work 18# and 17#. With the destruction of this city, we shall surely bait the Z-fighters to come in after us. And if the Z-fighters come, so will Goku," the old android exclaimed, thumbing a small, remote control in his hand. "The destruction of that whelp and the conquest of this planet will ensure our full rise to power. Together, we are unstoppable!"

The black haired android, now known as Android 17#, frowned and nodded affirmatively. After which he unleashed another purple ki blast, which consumed the destroyed remains of a distant building and cleared the block, leaving nothing but a smoking crater. "Yes, Dr. Gero…"

The head android, also called Android 20# or Dr. Gero, chuckled as his two favorite henchmen began leveling uneven ground. More buildings were consumed by fiery explosions, black smoke hurling into the air that could be seen for miles in every direction. It was like a giant flare going off, luring any daring wanderers into the dangerous mists. It would also alert some other expected guests.

Looking up, the giant android beside Dr. Gero suddenly picked up several ki signatures heading their way. Android 20# caught onto his bodyguard's lapse in attention and turned to him. The giant android stared skyward with a very monotone expression. "What is it, 16#?" The giant android, named Android 16#, furrowed his brow and spoke.

"I am detecting five high powered ki signatures heading in this direction. Bearing 25 degrees North-East-North of us approaching at speeds 950 miles per hour; estimated time to arrival, 30 seconds, threat: Moderate," the android replied blankly. He seemed more of a robot than any of the others, since his speech was laced with a computerized tone.

The leader android took this report as good news and grinned evilly. Looking over at the other androids, he made his planned announcement. "Prepare 17#, 18# and 16#. I believe that our challengers have arrived. Their intentions are to oppose us and bring us down to our knees. We're not going to let that happen. 17# and 18#, you shall deal with Goku. Android's 16# and 18b, you will stay with me. If any other of the Z-fighters is too powerful for just one of you to handle, then 16#, you may jump in. Let my other forces handle the rest of them," Dr. Gero stated. The other androids around him nodded affirmatively, and from here, waited for the Z-fighters' arrival.

Within moments, the Z-Team had arrived. One after another they landed in the flattened city suburb, and as expected, there were five of them. The first to land was Goku, followed closely by Piccolo, then Krillin and finally Tien and Yamcha, all of them wearing their symbolic fighting gi's. The Z-fighters landed firmly and stood strong, side by side. They all glared at the five culprits responsible for the surrounding destruction. As soon as they had landed, Piccolo, who had gotten rid of his weighted cape and turban during their descent, began to speak in everyone's favor. He was glaring hatefully at the leader of the androids. It was easy to tell, since he was standing above two of them on a pile of rubble flanked by two others.

"So, you must be the androids we've heard so much about," the Namek exclaimed with distaste. He furrowed his brow. "It seems we arrived a little too late to stop the destruction from beginning."

"Better late than never," Dr. Gero exclaimed with a grin. "And what a joyful occasion this is. It seems the entire Z-gang has arrived for the slaughter. Isn't this exciting? Now I can finally test the full extent of my work!"

Tien spat that out as if he had just eaten rotten fish. "You make me sick!" Yamcha nodded in agreement.

"You kill thousands of innocent people just to get back at Goku for what he did to you all those years ago!" the fighter stated. "Now that is taking tests to the extreme. You disgust me."

Dr. Gero chuckled. "Ahh, I see that a lot of changes have occurred since I last studied the lot of you. Tien and Yamcha: always so determined to prove yourselves to everyone that you're the best. And Piccolo: why, the mighty Namekian Demon King certainly has softened over these years. Not to mention Krillin: the cowardly monk who is still unsure of his own strengths. And lets not forget Goku," the android continued with a leer. "…: the one who destroyed the Red Ribbon Army and stopped them from conquering the world! It seems he's the one who went through the most dynamic of changes."

Goku growled and pointed up at the old man. "Enough! You're going to pay for all the lives you've taken today! For everyone who's suffered in the past, we'll get you back for it! The Red Ribbon Army will never rise again!"

Android 20# laughed out loud in amusement. "Ha! So you have brains after all. It took you only a few seconds to come up with an intelligent statement like that. As usual you are jumping into a fight with the intention of saving lives. Well, after this day, we would have destroyed five more to add to the long lists we have…"

"That's it!" Krillin yelled, finally losing his temper. "We just got here and already he's poking fun! Let's take him out before he destroys the rest of this city!"

"Easy Krillin," Piccolo interrupted. "We can't sense any power levels off of these guys, so we don't know how strong they are. Plus it appears there has been a change in the wind," the Namek continued, furrowing his brow. "That boy from the future said there were only supposed to be two androids, but here there're five. Something is up…"

Yamcha blinked, also spotting this change and remembering what was said three years ago. "Oh, I see…"

"What's happened then?" Tien asked. "Were the numbers supposed to increase or what?" Piccolo shrugged.

"Not sure, but the guy from the future would know," the Namekian said. "However, as told, they did come on the 12th of May and attacked at 10 o'clock. The time is correct. That we are certain," Piccolo continued. Goku's brow also furrowed.

"Something must have happened to have caused this change," the Saiyan stated, followed by the lead on by his friend Krillin.

"The numbers of androids have increased," the monk stated, looking up at the leader who was still grinning down at them. "Who exactly are you harboring on your little escapade here today? You are obviously their leader, who are the others?" Android 20# chuckled.

"Oh, I'm sorry, where are my manners. I forgot to introduce you to my team. I am Dr. Gero, now Android number 20#. And these two," he continued, pointing to the large android to his right and the raven haired girl to his left. "These are Android 16# on my right and Android 18b on by left. The other two in front of you are Android 17# and Android 18#. They have been so longing to meet you all…"

Goku blinked in surprise. "Dr…Gero? Man…I never expected you to be an android as well. We thought you'd be still human…"

"I guess he's also made some modifications to himself as well," Krillin continued, tilting his head up at the old man. "He doesn't seem that strong to me…"

Suddenly, Android 17# stepped forward with a sinister smile. "Lets get this show on the road, shall we," he said in a casual, at ease voice, that caught the Z-fighters' attention. The black haired android pointed at Goku and grinned, accompanied by his sister coming to stand beside him. "We have orders to terminate you Goku. And that's exactly what we're going to do…"

The blonde haired android beside him nodded affirmatively. "We were getting bored just blowing up buildings. Let's hope you can give us something that is more worth while." Goku scowled at them, just like the others. Krillin however seemed more or less transfixed on 18#.

Goku stepped forward, fists balled at his sides. "Oh I'll give you a fight, if that's what you mean!" the Saiyan stated. 17# chuckled, glancing at the others who have taken prepped stances as well.

"It seems that all of you want to fight us. Well I'll tell you this, you're no match for us," the boy replied, unfazed by Goku's powerful statements. His sister was also indifferent to the Z-fighters' intimidating appearances.

"We know everything about you five, right down to your personal lives with your families. Your fighting styles and skill levels are implanted all up here," she said, tapping the side of her head. "We're definitely looking forward to this fight…"

"Well then, let's go!" Krillin yelled, taking a stance. Piccolo, Goku, Tien and Yamcha also took fighting stances. Their standard states were all set in the row, with all five of them facing down the androids bravely. Although a couple of them were nervous, they were for certain that if they were fighting only two of these androids, then they were sure to win by numbers.

Dr. Gero however intervened. "Hold it! Everyone except Goku will not be having the pleasure of fighting 17# and 18#. You four will be tackling my Saibamen!" the android shouted, throwing his right hand forward. Suddenly, out of the blow, a squadron of 8, little figures popped out from the rubble and landed around Android's 17# and 18#. They flanked their comrades and took fighting stances of their own. The Z-fighters present were shocked at this turn of events as they were faced with these multicolored, alien looking creatures. They were very small, about Krillin's size a few years back. There were two green colored ones, two red ones, two yellow ones and two blue ones. All of them glared down the Z-Team with grins on their faces and red eyes glowing. Dr. Gero chuckled. "These little fighters were bred from my cloning machine. After studying the ash remains of Nappa's seedlings, all thanks to Goku's son, I was able to find out what those fighters really were. I was able to create a whole mass of them, just for you weaklings!"

Tien blinked. "What!?"

"How did you know about our fight with the Saiyans?" Yamcha asked. Dr. Gero chuckled.

"Simple. I observed your various battles and confrontations through hidden cameras, most of them microscopic in size. By using this method of observation, I was able to capture all your fighting styles and incorporated them into my androids you see standing before you. I also collected several cell samples to add to my biggest project. These Saibamen are just the start!" Android 20# stated. Krillin growled.

"Great, now we've got even bigger problems," the monk said with a nervous stammer. Goku glared down at 17, 18 and the Saibamen, calculating their odds of succeeding. The Saibamen emitted ki's, which was good since they knew what they were up against when it came to them. The Androids however still posed a big problem.

"Alright guys, this is what we trained for, so lets show them what we've got. There are two Saibamen for each of you, so that pits me against these two androids. You hold off those Saibamen while I bring down 17# and 18#," Goku stated. His friends at his sides nodded, taking their stances again and focusing their attention on their targets.

"Right!" they all yelled in unison.

In an explosion of power, Goku charged up to Super Saiyan, sending a blasting wind in every direction. A second explosion of wind occurred as the now powered up Saiyan shot at 18# and 17#. Faster then his enemies could have expected, Goku kneed 18# in the face, sending her staggering back before sending a backwards roundhouse kick aimed at 17#. He struck the androids hard, sending them both staggering back before taking to the skies. After regaining their balance, the two android turned skywards as well and flew after him. Goku climbed fast, hard and high, reaching an altitude above the city where they were nearly seen as dots. Seconds later, 17# and 18# caught up with him and suddenly cornered him on both sides. In a flash, the three vanished, the sky filling with a series of sonic explosions and booms of force as fists began to collide. Now things were really heating up, and the battle was on.

The Z-fighters on the ground were looking up into the skies, gaping in shock at the speeds Goku was ripping at. He was breaking through sound barriers every step of the way. He was really moving. Suddenly, when they looked back down, they saw the Saibamen attack them, flying through the air and coming down on them fast. In reaction, the four broke, just as all eight minions landed. In their pairs according to color, they took off after their targets. Yamcha was pursued by the green ones, Tien the blue ones, Krillin the Red ones and Piccolo the yellow ones. The little imps, though small and old in terms of confrontations in the past, these ones were a lot faster than anticipated, courtesy of Dr. Gero. Within seconds, the buildings and streets areas on the ground were beginning to stack with more explosions and sounds of fists colliding. Now the entire Z-gang was pitted into a battle, no, a war of colossal proportions. They thought that they had trouble against Frieza, but these androids were proving to be more then even they could handle.

Dr. Gero was looking skywards, along with Android 16#, whereas Android 18b was looking around, turning from one fight to the next. She was observing the battles going down between their forces and the Z-fighters, which turned out to be quite the eye sore. Android 20# was also taking note of the fights, but these mostly concerned Goku and little towards the others. He knew that his Saibamen would be able to hold off the others, and were just expendable assets anyway. He chuckled.

"17# and 18# will make short work of Goku before this day is through," Dr. Gero stated, looking down to see his Saibamen taking on their targets. Piccolo was already in the air, defending himself from the tiny fighters coming in from his left and right. Tien was hammering away at one of his, whereas the other one was back on its feet and chasing after him after being knocked down. Krillin was mercilessly pummeling his share, the one Saibamen putting up a descent fight with the other one circling the monk to find an opening. Yamcha fought fairly well against his opponents, and was hopping from area to area, throwing them off of him and countering every attack they launched. Android 20# was quite interested by the Z-fighters being able to handle themselves so well. _"I knew that they would get strong, but I never suspected a strength increase this far! Did they know we were coming? Or is it just ironic that they detected our presence here on this island? It seems impossible. However, Goku's strength increase is a real surprise, not to mention this new, golden form of his. He's able to face off against both 17# and 18#. It doesn't make any sense. This added up by the absence of Vegeta and Gohan makes even less sense. Where are the rest of them?"_

Letting out a roar, Piccolo elbowed one of his Saibamen in the stomach, sending him into a nearby building before the second one came at him to his right. The Namekian turned and defended himself from the flurry of attacks its launched while the building beyond his reach collapsed on top of the buried imp. Piccolo blocked several of its punches, the clawed hands making him nervous. Plus its unorthodox movements made it hard to predict what it was going to do next. Its stance was awkwardly placed, and it had no skill whatsoever. Its only intention was to kill its target. Piccolo floated up slowly as the Saibamen pressed on with its assault, making the Namekian nervous. The imp screamed, throwing a powered up right fist straight for the green fighter's face. Piccolo grabbed it easy and took its arm into two hands. Spinning round and round in mid-air, he then tossed it towards the ground where it crashed into a heap of bricks and debris, disappearing amongst it. After which he brought his right hand up and aimed a powerful, golden ki blast into the pile. The blast struck home, exploding with incredible force. However, when it was thought his opponent was gone, the Saibaman reappeared and charged at him, screeching loudly. The first one he was fighting also shot out from the rubble, shooting straight for Piccolo at rapid speed. The Namekian attacked the second one, grabbing it by the arm and elbowing a few times then punched him away before engaging the other in a fist fight. Their fight carried on through the air, weaving through the buildings before returning to the ground. Piccolo landed and leapt back, just as the two Saibamen struck the ground where he once stood. Getting onto their hands and feet, they turned in his direction and pounced, charging and letting out similar screeches.

Krillin nervously backed away as his two Saibamen ganged up on him. The red imps leered at him, making low clicking sounds in their wake. In a split second, the two creatures charged, attacking at the same time. Krillin made haste, becoming quick on his feet and using all his concentration. He began blocking the attacks sent at him from both Saibamen. They put further pressure on him, forcing him back and back, not letting up. Their punches flew, forcing Krillin to block, parry and avoid each and every attack while backing away. After a few seconds of being locked in this excessive pounding, Krillin broke away from the fray, kicking off and leaping back. He landed lightly, kicking off again flying up as one of the two charged at kicked out at him, only to find he was gone. Tracking the monk the two Saibamen shot after him. They zipped through the air and reached Krillin in three seconds flat, attacking once more. The first Saibaman punched out, only for Krillin to spin and move out of the way and fly in a different direction. The second Saibaman followed and struck down at him with a hammer strike. Krillin blocked that and pummeled it with an upper cut, elbow, punch and then finally a kick. He knocked the creature away, before being attacked by the first one again. After an intense exchange of punches, kicks and a share of blocks and dodges, Krillin managed to catch the Saibamen in a lock, grabbing him by the head and kneeing him. Making the creature stagger back, the monk pummeled him with two hooks and a straight kick up into its chin, knocking it back. Then, leaping up high and gaining altitude, Krillin brought up his two hands and threw it forward, unleashing a powerful, blue blast of energy. It skimmed through the air, striking one of the Saibamen and exploding. It sent the beast falling for the ground, where it crashed in the middle of a damaged road, forming a crater and sending dust flying. Krillin fisted his hands and grinned wildly.

"Yes! Take that creep!" he yelled, pointing at the ground. He let out a yelp and backed away when suddenly Yamcha flew past, pursued by the two Saibamen he was fighting. The monk watched him land on one of the partially destroyed buildings where he met the full brunt of the attacks from both sides from both creatures. It was then Krillin looked down to see the two red Saibamen flying up at him, both of them more battered and bruised than he was. The monk growled to see them still standing and charged in kind, locking fists with them when he met them half way. The three battled hard, with the two creatures moving about to throw Krillin's concentration off.

Yamcha meanwhile, was facing his opponents on the rooftops, leaping from building to building while engaging in wild fury with both creatures. Grabbing the arm of his first attacker, he spun him round and threw him into the second one, sending both of them careering over the side of the building the fight was situated on top. They fell for a good thirteen stories before separating and flying back up to the top of the building. Here, they took different routes, one of them going straight into the building while the other continued upwards. Yamcha readied himself, throwing both hands back and cupping them at his side. Here, he began chanting the familiar words of Goku's signature move.

"KAAaaaaa…MEEeeeee…HAAaaaaaa…MEEeeeeee…" The Saibaman appeared, flying up before charging at him. Yamcha grinned and threw both hands forward, unleashing his attack at close range. "HAAAAaaaaaaaaaa!!!" he screamed. The blue blast shot out of his arms with incredible magnitude, striking the Saibaman and consuming it in a fiery grave. Well, that's what he thought. After briefly catching the creature within its most dangerous point, it exploded, sending the smoking body hurling back the way it came. Yamcha grinned and held his right fist up.

"Oh yeah!" the spiky haired fighter exclaimed. "Deep fried and go…GAH!" he yelled in shock, when the second Saibaman burst out from right underneath him, showering his pants with dust and debris. Flying straight up, the creature sent a punishing blow straight into his face, knocking Yamcha staggering back. Stopping himself with a bruised face, the fighter took a stance and growled, shaking an angry fist.

"Oh…you are so dead little man!" Yamcha yelled, before charging at the creature.

He sent a powerful elbow across its face, sending it flying and then pursuing it in kind. The Saibaman managed to flip back into submission and charged in return, engaging in another fist fight with the fighter. The two slowly descended during their brawl, fists and kicks exchanged between the two of them with either one blocking or receiving the punishing blow. When they got down to two stories, they both kicked away from each other and landed a ways from each other when they came back down to earth. Yamcha took a different stance, his ki level rising as he watched the creature shift around a bit. When it was clear that the fighter was not going to attack him, the Saibaman screeched and charged, flying through the air at an incredible speed. Yamcha prepared himself, going through a series of hand movements before dropping into a wide stance, hands clawed and ready. Gritting his teeth he charged in kind.

"WOLF-FANG FIST!" he yelled, meeting with the Saibamen in the centre. The two collided, elbows first. From here, Yamcha followed up with a swift, powerful assault. Fists and kicks flew through the air, all of them striking his target. He hammered blows away, straight into the imp creature. The punishing blows were hard and fast, the Saibaman drifting back through the air as its gut and face was pummeled mercilessly. Then, after many connected blows, Yamcha finished off with a double palmed strike to its stomach, sending it flying back and skidding to a stop when it lost a strong momentum. It stopped at the base of a telephone pole.

After downing that creature, Yamcha returned to his original fighting stance when the second Saibaman came back into the spray. Although scarred and burnt, it charged at him with clear fury, catching Yamcha off guard. The spiky haired fighter received a blow straight across the face, sending him staggering back before he leapt into the air and away when the creature followed up the attack. Screeching wildly, it chased Yamcha throwing various punches his way before eventually, after shifting through the air in avoidance of the monster's attacks, Yamcha began to attack back. These two fought fiercely, as the other Saibaman slowly got back to its feet.

While these two were fighting, there was suddenly a reoccurring explosion above them, Yamcha and the Saibaman losing their foot as the force winds hit them, sending them down. Landing on the ground, they both looked up, where they saw Goku engaged in a ferocious battle with Android 17#. The Super Saiyan warrior was valiantly holding his own against both androids, and has already suffered multiple injuries. His face was all bruised up, plus his gi was tattered now. 18# and 17# were also bruised up, but weren't running low on energy. Goku was easily exhausted because of their vicious assaults.

After blocking a series of punches and combination attacks from 17#, Goku pushed him back with a light, invisible wave of energy. Stopping just a few feet away, 17# approached again, fist held back and ready to attack. To which, Goku used the opportunity to his advantage, pulling his own fist back and sent a power punch across his opponent's face. This sent the android flying with a yelp of surprise and pain. Just as the Saiyan warrior was pulling back his fist, Android 18# came down from no where and struck him in the back with a kick. Goku plummeted with a painful yell. He spun towards the ground, out of control. Just then, he quickly regained his composure and took control of his fall, locking into a ball and spinning fast, losing momentum. He then opened up, stopping himself. With a quick power up, his aura sprung up around him and he shot into the air, out of blast effectiveness.

As he was flying back, 17# appeared, bursting out of a nearby building and sending a hook straight across the Saiyan's face. The blow crippled Goku's flight pattern and sent him falling again. Just then, 18# appeared at his brother side with a charged energy attack. Pulling back her right hand, with was glowing pink, she pitched it forward, throwing a sparkling ball of energy straight down at their falling opponent. The _Power Blitz_ attack caught up with Goku, and struck him hard, exploding with the force ten times stronger then that of a pack of C4. The spiky haired warrior floated out of the hot smoke, burnt on his arms and gi. He had managed to cross his arms over his face just as the attack made contact. After which he uncrossed his arms and powered up, his aura exploding around him and sending the smoke away. He drifted for a moment and then took flight and charged straight for his two opponents. 17# and 18# took prepared stances, gritting their teeth and bracing themselves. Goku was proving to be a tough opponent, even for them.

Reaching the two androids, Goku engaged both of them. The first contact blow locked all three of them, with resounding, unequal forces sending them flying back. It was after being sent back at equal 10 meter intervals when the three flew back in. This was where the punches and kicks really started to fly. Goku averted between the two androids, when it appeared he fought them at the same time. They all drifted through the sky as they fought, shock waves ringing out whenever powerful combinations struck home. It was a whirlwind of fists and feet, the very fight itself shaking the buildings around them. After hundreds of punches and kicks had been made, Goku decided to finish up. Just as he was being pressured on by the two androids, he threw both hands out and unleashed two invisible blasts of energy. Both his opponent's were knocked back, allowing him to attack again.

Leaping back through the air, the Super Saiyan cupped his hands behind him and powered up, gritting his teeth. A blue ball of energy formed in his grasp, crackling and shining brightly. "KAAaaaaa…MEEeeeee…HAAaaaaa…MEEeeeee…HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" he yelled, throwing his hands forward and unleashing the powerful blast at the two. The two Android's watched it soar straight towards them before moving out of the way. The blast struck a distant building, destroying it and sending its remains careering to the ground to form a massive pile of rubble and smoking debris.

Android 17# and 18# took Goku's lapse of attention as an opportunity to attack, and flew back up at him full speed. The Super Saiyan growled and dropped into a fighting stance, readying himself for his opponents. But unable to recover his energy fast enough, he received a powerful punch from 17# straight across his face. The blow sent him flying straight into a building. He went right through it, coming out the other side with the office building managing to stay up. Just as he managed to stop himself right after exit of the building, 17# and 18# burst through the same hole he had came through and tackled him, giving him a strong knee to the gut and pushing him along; the Super Saiyan letting out a yelp of pain. They tackled him into another building, the three of them disappearing in a cloud of dust.

Tien suddenly appeared in place, just seconds after Goku's disappearance. He leapt and shifted from side to side, avoiding the two Saibamen attacking him. Blocking several punches, he then grabbed one of them by the head and sent a chop across its face, knocking it senseless and kicking the second one. The second Saibaman he was fighting was sent flying whereas the other one was held in his grip. He took the opportunity of pummeling the little creature, sending punishing uppercuts into its stomach before tossing him away. That Saibaman quickly recovered. After stopping in mid-flight, it flew back at Tien with a roar, hand held back and ready to strike. Tien was ready.

Flying at the creature in return, he pulled back his right leg and sent a kick straight up into it. That powerful blow sent the imp skywards, screeching loudly. Tien then took a stance in preparation for his next attack. "Volleyball Fist! Here it goes!!!" he yelled. His aura exploded around him as he flew up towards the Saibaman he had just hit, which was still soaring skyrocketing upwards. When he reached it as the momentum he had put into the creature was lost, he brought both his fists up and locked fingers together. With a yell, he sent it straight down into its back, jack hammering it back down. "STRIKE!!!"

The blow was tremendous, making a loud boom noise as the Saibaman plummeted. Within seconds, it was closing in on hard ground, but before it could, Tien appeared underneath it and struck it upwards with a back hammer strike, similar to a particular move in an actual volleyball game. The Saibaman screeched as it soared up again, but didn't gain as much momentum as before. Then, with those two blows initiated, Tien flew up, pulling his right hand back and smacking the Saibaman down, as if hitting it over a net. The creature crashed to the ground, skidding across for several meters before stopping.

Tien grinned in triumph, but frowned when he sensed the other creature heading towards him from behind. Spinning around, he saw the Saibaman coming at him from high above, screeching and bearing its teeth menacingly. The triclops took his stance now and was quick to react. Cranking his right hand back, he threw it forward, firing off a quick, blue energy ball. It flew at the Saibaman with incredible speed, with a charge powerful enough to demolish a building. The imp was struck head long, and sent flying. Tien growled and was about to fly after it when a yellow Saibamen suddenly came flying straight past him, close enough to graze his gi. This was closely followed by Piccolo, who was in pursuit of the little creature. The Namek shot past the fighter without a second glance, top speed and in action. Tien watched as the green warrior grabbed the soaring Saibaman by the leg and tossed him down to the ground, where it crashed into the road, forming a cloud of dust that lifted into the air and a crater underneath it. From the look on Piccolo's face, he was pissed.

"That's it you little insect!" he roared. "I'm dealing with you trash now!!! RARGH!!!"

He flew down, pulling his right fist back. It crackled with hot, orange electricity, with a radiating, yellow aura enveloping his hand as well. Just as Piccolo was flying downward, the Saibaman he had sent into the ground, which was bruised and battered more then a rag doll on a bad day, was already staggering back to its feet. Wobbling a few times, the imp let out a squeaky growl and glared up, only to find to his shock the Namek heading straight towards him. Piccolo was fast, too fast, and was all ready to attack. The Namek let out a roar, its palm opening up with a yellow, crackling ball of energy appearing. It shone brightly, burning with raw power. The green fighter skimmed across the ground, just a few feet up and swooped down on his opponent. At the same time he threw his hand forward, unleashing his attack.

"DESTRUCTIVE WAVE!!!" The energy ball that shot forth from his palm sucked the little imp into it, enveloping it in a fiery blaze. The Saibaman could all but screech in agony before it was disintegrated when the blast expanded before exploding. All that was left of it was a cloud of grey smoke, with Piccolo's hand still extended. He growled furiously for a moment, before grinning in success.

"Heh…that takes care of _him_," he exclaimed, before suddenly seeing the other Saibaman he was battling charging at him from a distance. Its roar echoed around, reaching his ears before it did. The Namekian took a prepared stance, frowning as it approached. When it reached him, it immediately sent a jab at him. Just then, as Piccolo avoided it, he grabbed its arm and, using its own momentum against it, spun it round and threw the creature skyward. After which, Piccolo pursued, his intentions to annihilate it once and for all.

Dr. Gero laughed, seeing the Z-fighters' frustration growing ever so steadily. It was an amusing sight to him. However, for the other two androids, they were all feeling different about the situation. Android 16# just stood and watched, while Android 18b stood beside Dr. Gero and just glared out onto the battlefield, her foot tapping impatiently. Finally satisfied at being able to witness Goku's slow defeat, with the Saiyan right now being ganged up on by Android 17# and 18#, he glanced over at Android 16#. With a grin, he nodded to the giant android and gestured towards the battlefield.

"It's time to finish him, 16#. Go!" Android 20# said. The giant android wasted no time and shot out onto the field, taking off with extreme force. Dr. Gero watched him go, impressed at the speed and power he was already displaying.

Meanwhile, Goku was grounded, trying to hold off both his android attackers. His energy was draining fast, with 17# and 18# still going on strong. He managed to block off the combination assault from 17#, parrying two punches and checking a left roundhouse kick. However, with his concentration focused primarily on the boy android, he didn't make any counts on 18#, who sent a powerful thrust knee into his stomach, which winded him. After that, he received a right palm strike across the face and then an elbow to the back from the blonde haired beauty. He was easily downed, reduced to being on his hands and knees. It was of some fortune he was able to hold out in his Super Saiyan form for this long.

Just then, before Android 17# and 18# could continue their beating, they detected someone else coming up behind them and turned around. There, they saw Android 16# flying at them, eyes locked with its primary target. Knowing that Dr. Gero must have given the order, both android 17# and 18# leapt out of the way, making way for their friend to launch his assault. Goku staggered to his feet, looking up to see the giant android flying straight at him. Already battered and exhausted, the Saiyan just stood limply, awaiting his fate.

Android 16# closed the gap, leaping up and coming down with his right fist held back. With a loud roar, he sent his fist forward, only to be knocked of balance when something kicked him in the back of the neck. He choked on his yell as he flew right over Goku landing, a few feet away and spinning around. Android 17# and 18# looked in the direction of the new attacker, surprised when they saw who it was.

The figure landed, arms crossed and glaring at them. The black, flame like hair and familiar Saiyan outfit was immediately recognized to belong to one person. "You mechanical trash! Step away from Kakarot and face me!" the new fighter shouted. 17#, realizing who it was, smirked and crossed his arms. Goku just stood where he was in the shadows, falling onto one knee limply and shuddering from the pain he felt shooting through him. He looked up towards his savior, which happened to be a very familiar Saiyan Prince.

"Well, if it isn't Vegeta," he exclaimed with dull delight. "We figured you'd show up sooner or later. Heh…Goku had better be thankful that it was the sooner…" Vegeta just glared at them for a moment or two. After considering the state Goku was him and the power level he emitted, he figured it was for the better, and transformed. A golden aura exploded around him, warping violently and ripping up the dirt beneath him. His hair flashed gold and his eyes turned teal. His muscle span also increased, but only slightly. With his power now reaching a new height, he was more than ready to face this competition. 17# and 18# spotted the change instantly and compared his new form to Goku's. It was from here they came to a suitable conclusion.

"So…you transform just like Goku does. Well isn't that something," 18# said, blinking as she stared at the prince.

"It seems that it is a Saiyan relation. Don't you think so sis?" 17# asked with a grin. 18# smiled and nodded affirmatively.

"Yeah. But it doesn't matter does it?" she exclaimed, lowering her head towards the new Super Saiyan Vegeta. "No matter how strong you have become, you're still not strong enough to beat the three of us!" she stated, just as Android 16# came to stand by their side. 17# nodded in agreement.

"Yes. The information on you clearly shows that you're no match for us. It's all in the facts," the black haired android stated. Vegeta furrowed his brow at them; arms still crossed and angered expression still in play.

"You can't compare everything in this world on computer data. Never underestimate your opponent. Everything depends on who or what you are fighting, and can vary due to skill and technique uses, as well as power level," the prince stated. 17# just smiled more confidently, annoying Vegeta.

"It doesn't matter. We know that you're still not strong enough to beat us. We have you outnumbered three to one. If Goku couldn't beat us, what chances do you have?" the android asked. Vegeta just scowled.

"I'm stronger than Kakarot, and am sure stronger then both of you combined!" he growled. 18# chuckled.

"He really is persistent, this one. Why don't we teach him a lesson in learning, brother?" she asked. The boy beside her nodded affirmatively while grinning evilly.

"Of course. Three on one sounds fair…"

"You mean two on three!" Goku said, leaping out from the shadows where he knelt and coming to stand by Vegeta. His aura sprung around him, with a bit more effort put into this power up then expected. The Saiyan Prince glanced at his former enemy, seeing him coming to a firm, fighting stance, which advertised his persona. After which, Vegeta nodded to him before turning back to the androids.

"You guys can count me in!" another voice shouted from above, drawing everyone's attention skyward. Suddenly, Vegeta, Goku and the androids saw another surprise face drop in from the heavens and come to land in the battlefield. Dressed in a blue jacket, black trousers, black turtle neck, yellow CC boots and bearing blue eyes and grey-purple hair, the form of Mirai Trunks joined the fray. With the cavalry fully assembled, the three Saiyans took a stand.

With his sword still sheathed, Mirai Trunks turned to face the androids and, after a quick glance, powered up. A golden aura erupted around him, with the noticeable changes in his hair and eyes added to it. In that split second, the half Saiyan hero from the future transformed into a Super Saiyan. Joining the other two Saiyans in this form, he focused primarily on the androids in front of him. Goku and Vegeta were caught by surprise at his appearance.

"Trunks? You're here?" Goku exclaimed. "Wow, what a coincidence. We thought you were gone for good!"

Mirai grinned at the Saiyan addressing him. "Yeah, well…I figured you guys could use some help, so I took a jump back in time to see how everything's going." He then frowned and glared back at the androids. "But I see that there are more then two androids now." Goku nodded affirmatively at him and also turned back to their three opponents standing in front of them.

"Yeah, there are five of them now, Dr. Gero included," Goku replied. Future Trunks nodded in understanding, lowering his head a bit so that his eyes overshadowed.

"I should have known this would happen. History has taken a drastic change for the worst. Gah…now there are five! What's next…?"

Meanwhile, Vegeta was staring in shock at the new Super Saiyan on the battlefield. He was never told this before, but now he finally knew the name of the mysterious youth from the future. After three years of not knowing and after so many events had occurred in that time, he was left in a bewildered state he was sure never to forget. His eyes were wide and wavering, and his mouth hung agape. _"Trunks…h-he has the same name as my son's. B-But…of course! A Super Saiyan form the future! He's my son! Unbelievable…"_

"Oye!" 17# called out, catching their attentions. Vegeta was easily distracted from his thoughts and drawn back to the battle. His eyes were once again focused back on the androids. "If you don't mind, we'd like to get this train back on track. We're still waiting, and I'm getting impatient. If you three think you can beat us, then you're sadly mistaken…"

Trunks and Goku just scowled, while Vegeta fumed. He held a fist up at the black haired boy and yelled. "Shut your mouth! You want some of this?! Then have it!" he roared. With a bellowing yell, he launched himself at the Android 17#, fists pulled back and ready to attack. His attention was so focused on the boy android that he completely forgot about the other two androids standing by his side.

Suddenly, out of the blue, Android 18# popped up in front of him and sent a devastating punch straight into his face. The blow was incredible, with the shocked Vegeta letting out a yell as he was sent flying back the way he came at a faster rate. The punch was so strong it sent him flying past Goku and Trunks and straight into a building behind them. The prince crashed into the ten story structure and stopped inside of it. The entire thing came collapsing down on top of him, a cloud of dust forming as rubble began to pile up.

Trunks and Goku were astounded. After watching the prince crash into the building, they nervously looked back at 18# and the other androids, eyes wide and teeth gritted. They saw her rub her fist before taking a stance, just like 17# and 16#. The blonde haired android smiled.

"Take those two. Vegeta's mine…" she exclaimed. Trunks shook nervously.

"_Oh man, this is great. Not only are there five androids, but they're stronger then the one's in my time! This is going to get rough…"_

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_

****

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_ If you're wondering about Gohan, don't worry, he'll turn up. This chapter is perhaps one of the only ones where he doesn't make an appearance. 


	21. Not Enough!

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Not Enough_

Indeed, things were certainly getting rough for the Z-fighters. The Androids had them outgunned, outmaneuvered and outmanned by a two on one margin. It was bad news for all of them. However, even though the Saiyans were now having a tough time against 16#, 17# and 18#, Piccolo, Tien, Krillin and Yamcha were now having a ball with their opponents. Although the Saibamen were proving to be tough little bugs to squash, the members of the Z-team in this region were wearing them down little by little. Piccolo had already eliminated one of the offending imps, and the others were to follow soon enough.

Krillin sent a powerful punch across the face of one of the Saibaman he was fighting, seeing it reel back with a fist mark implanted in its cheek. After recovering from a brief fall back, the Saibaman shot back up at Krillin and sent a roundhouse kick across the monk's face. Goku's friend blocked the kick, pushing off and charging, aiming for the opening created for him. He followed his assault with a straight punch to its stomach. He continued on, elbowing it and then sending a knee into its chin. The creature fell back, only to be struck down by a spinning axe kick that sent it plummeting towards the ground. It landed, bouncing once before falling back into a sort of unconscious state. Krillin used this opportunity to take it out permanently. Bringing his hands back and cupping them, the monk charged up his signature move.

"KAaaaa…MEeeee…HAeeee…MEeeee…HAAAAAAAA!!!" he roared, unleashing the power attack and sending it down at his target. The creature, which was still lying sprawled on the ground, was struck by the blast. The blue beam exploded on impact, sending ash ridden pieces of the imp everywhere as a cloud of smoke lifted in its place. When it lifted, all there was left of it was a small crater filled with black, burnt remains of the Saibaman lying in it.

Krillin then spun round, caught a bit off guard none to say the least when the second imp came out of nowhere, screeching loudly. It was from instinct when the imp made the surprise attack Krillin's reflexes kicked in. He sent a punch straight into its face, knocked it back. It only flew back 40 meters before stopping itself. Krillin didn't waste any time with making his next assault count, so he charged, powering up to increase speed.

Piccolo blocked and avoided all of the attacks his remaining Saibaman was sending at him. His teeth gritted tightly as he focused all his concentration on the creature's unorthodox punches and kicks. They practically came in all sorts of forms, lacking any sort of fighting style or focus. The imp obviously lacked the intelligence of an extra terrestrial being and more of a mind of an animal. Its only intentions were to attack and kill. Well, the Namekian hero was not going to slip up so easily. After avoiding a certain amount of attacks, he leapt back and fired a straight ki blast at the imp. The Saibaman avoided it, flying upwards so that it floated above its target. Holding its hands out and rearing its head back, the creature's head suddenly sprung open, catching Piccolo off guard. When it threw it forward again, it sprayed a green liquid at the Namek, forcing him to take drastic measure. He leapt to the side, watching as the flying stream landed stories below. When it did, it burnt a clean hole in the ground, hissing loudly. Piccolo immediately identified the corrosive liquid as acid. He growled and spun around, seeing the imp cackling sinisterly.

Without a word, Piccolo let out a yell and shot up, flying at the Saibaman with fury evident in his new intentions. The creature locked with its target in a fierce brawl, which only lasted a few seconds before suddenly falling into a grappling attack. The Namek grabbed the back of its head and brought it down into his knee, making it reel back from the powerful blow. After which, he sent two powerful body shots into its stomach area, making it hover on his accord and reel forward. After which, he brought his right hand up and down, chopping it across its shoulder and chest, punishing it some more before throwing his left hand into its chest. It didn't stop there. His arm began to expand, stretching with the force of the punch the Namek sent. His arm stretched far, pushing the Saibaman along. It continued to stretch till it struck a building, burying the creature deep into its catacombs. After that, Piccolo brought his arm back, retracting it back to normal size. It was here he initiated his next attack. Bringing his right hand about, he pressed his index and middle finger to his forehead, growling as he concentrated a high amount of energy into it. His two fingers crackled with golden electricity, the ki needing to produce his next attack flowing into it and compacting into a great mass. After which, the Namek brought it forward, gritting his teeth.

"EAT THIS!" he yelled, throwing his right hand forward, pointing his electrified fingers at the building. At that moment, the Saibaman emerged, flying straight for its target while screeching. Its form was so bruised and battered you could swear it was bleeding acid. It didn't spot Piccolo's stance or detect any danger of an attack, it just moved, fast. The Namekian growled and unleashed his attack at the last moment, a narrow beam shooting out of his finger accompanied by a second beam that swirled around it, acting like a drill. "SPECIAL-BEAM CANNON!!!"

The attack punched straight through the Saibaman's forehead and continuing on, emerging out its back at the angle the creature was attacking. The beams past straight through its intended target and collided with the same building the very imp was thrown into. That was where the final attack exploded; with Piccolo relinquishing his hold of it, pulling his hand back round. As for the Saibaman, it exploded into a white cloud, pieces of it flying everywhere. With the death of his last opponent, Piccolo then turned to the others. In the distance, he saw Tien slamming his fist into one of the imps he was fighting, the other one coming about and preparing to attack. As soon as his fist drove in, he pushed out, extending his index finger. There was an orange glow and a quick power up as Tien unleashed one of his signature moves at close range. With a light ping and a gust of wind, an orange, narrow beam shot straight into the Saibaman. It emerged on the other side, throwing the creature back where it exploded several meters away. With the unleashing of the attack, Tien yelled, "Dodoma-Ray!" before one of his targets was destroyed. It was then the second creature attacked, with Piccolo watching Tien begin to battle in the distance. Fists and kicks flew as they both exchanged lethal blows. The Namekian felt the triclops didn't need help on this part and turned toward the others.

He saw Yamcha down on the ground, landing and facing one of the Saibaman standing 40 yards away while another one landed the same distance behind him. Both of them took threatening stances, making Yamcha look between the two of them to see which of them would attack first. Incidentally, it happened to be the one in front of him that charged with a screech. The fighter was quick to react. He avoided the punch it threw and drove his knee up into it, knocking it into submission before hammering it down to the ground. It crashed at his feet and bounced, allowing him to kick up into its stomach and send it skywards. As it flew, Yamcha pulled his right hand back and threw it forward, firing a concentrated blue energy ball. It struck the weakened imp and exploded, the remains of the Saibaman falling around him like rain, only smoking and smelling like rotten fish. Just as that one creature was annihilated, the second one attacked from behind leaping at Yamcha with a loud screech. Piccolo chose to act now and flew straight down to aid his comrade.

"YAMCHA! DUCK!!!" he yelled. Yamcha did so without a second thought, knowing what was going to happen. Piccolo appeared behind him, right in the path of the Saibaman. His hand was pulled back, an orange ball of energy glowing brightly in his hand. The creature now flying for Piccolo suddenly began to glow as well, yellow electricity issuing off of it with steam emerging from its head. Its face began to crack, gold beams of light shooting out of it. Before it could do anything else, the Namek through his hand forward and unleashed the blast he had been powering up. The attack struck the Saibaman and expanded, consuming it in a dead zone that completely annihilated it. The blast continued on after Piccolo released energy flow on it, pulling his hand back and dropped into a stance. Yamcha, who had ducked and covered, got to his feet and turned around.

Piccolo blinked in surprise. "Man…that imp was easy. What's happening? Yours was a lot weaker then mine…I don't understand," Piccolo said. Yamcha shrugged.

"Perhaps they were modified specifically for us. Dr. Gero must have set them to compete with our levels of power and skill," the fighter stated. The Namekian nodded. He could understand that.

"They were created by him, so it must be reasonable for him to tinker with them a bit. Take it as fortunate that we were paired with the correct ones," Piccolo continued. He then turned towards the area Dr. Gero and Android 18b stood. The two of them were still watching the fight at hand, with Android 20# continuously fiddling with a small remote control in his hand. Piccolo raised an eyebrow when he spied Android 18b eyeing the device cautiously, indicating its importance to them and the doctor if he was bearing it. However, that really wasn't what concerned Piccolo; it was the fact that Android 18b wasn't doing anything. And neither was Android 20#.

"_What's she waiting for? Dr. Gero wants to kill us, and yet he's holding that android back? What's her real purpose here? Just to observe or what?"_ Piccolo queried. Before he could dig in any investigation, he and Yamcha were already up and away, flying up to a new altitude to observe the fights between Tien and Krillin and their Saibaman, and Trunks, Vegeta and Goku's battle with the androids.

Within moments, Tien was already doing away with his remaining Saibaman. An elbow to its stomach, followed by an elbow across its face staggered it back, before it received a straight blow in the stomach, sending it flying up. After that, Tien threw his left hand forward, two fingers extended and unleashed an invisible blast of a sorts. He let out a yell with the launch of the attack, and a second later, the creature he was fighting exploded into cinders, leaving a small mist of cloud where it once floated. And that was his fight over. Suffering only minor damages, including bruises and burns, he was alright.

Krillin was finishing up with his opponent as well. Flying backwards as well as moving in a downward slope at a high speed, the monk brought his right hand up and charged up his attack. A golden disk appeared, sizzling and crackling with a dangerous type of energy. With it, Krillin threw it forward with a yell. "DESTRUCTO DISK!" The attack flew up through air, cutting cleanly through the breeze on route for its target. The Saibaman suddenly appeared, leaping over the soaring disk, avoiding it just barely before continuing its flight for Krillin. It let out a loud screech as it pursued.

Krillin managed to make ground at the exact moment, looking up to see the imp coming straight for him. With a smirk, the monk took control of the disk he threw and brought it about using a ki grasp over it. The golden energy attack zipped around, changing course through the commands Krillin initiated. Using this, Krillin brought the disk about on a steady, quick path, hooking it around to his right in his sights and aiming it directly for the Saibaman still on route for him. With a directed command, the disk flew straight for the creature, slicing straight through it and cutting it in the half at the waist line. The creature choked in surprise before suddenly exploding into a shower of grey smoke and burnt remains. The golden disk soared off into the distance, striking a hill and vanishing. This left Krillin to be showered with only a few pieces of the Saibaman, a grin donning his features with a look of triumph. He held up a fist and cheered.

"YES!"

"Hey Krillin, take a look at this!" Yamcha shouted from above, drawing the monk's attention upwards. When he saw Piccolo and the other two fighters assembled and flying above him, the bald fighter joined them, coming to float at their side and look in the direction everyone else was looking in. Turning, he saw exactly what they were all concerned about. Goku, Vegeta and Trunks' fight with the androids wasn't going well. They were being beaten.

Vegeta had currently engaged 18# in a deadly brawl. Fists and kicks flashed, as well as them as they used super speed to gain the upper hand over the other. Unfortunately, a one on one contest with fighters didn't exactly give the Saiyans the advantage. The androids were ruthless, relentless machines with exhaustless energy. They were unstoppable. Vegeta may have been giving his opponent the beating before, but after only a couple of blows from 18#, and he was staggered. He was unable to keep up with the blonde haired beauties movements or attacks. They were too strong, and he wasn't reacting fast enough to defend himself. He was falling fast. As was Goku and Trunks. Trunks may have been able to fight two androids in the future, but these powerful androids in this time, even one on one was proving to be too much for him. Android 17# was even more merciless than his sister, and attacked with unyielding force. He didn't even give Trunks the time to recover. As for Goku, well, his luck was wearing thin on him today. Goku was facing off against the towering Android 16#. And although he was relieved he didn't have to fight two androids this time, he was failing miserably against the giant, red haired android. 16# was pummeling him, and attacking him in return was like fighting Legendary Super Saiyan Broly. He was a brick wall and bedrock, unmoving. Already Super Saiyan Goku found himself pressed underfoot, literally.

Goku let out a cry of agony when Android 16# crushed his foot into his stomach before kicking him and picking him up. Grabbing him by the collar and lifting him up to a certain height, the giant android brought his free, left arm back and sent his fist at his target, driving it into his stomach. He repeatedly struck Goku again and again, making him cough up saliva and blood. After a moment of this driving torture, 16# held his hand against Goku's chest and powered up a ki blast. The golden energy ball in his palm expanded and struck Gohan in the chest before it shot out in a powerful stream of energy, sending the valiant hero back in a smoking flight path, gi torn up and burnt. 16# sprint after him, reaching his opponent just as Goku managed to level out, floating several feet above the ground and in the air, glaring at his opponent. Just then, 16# reached him and sent a powerful right punch into his stomach, making the Saiyan reel over. He may have been big, but he was sure fast. After that, he drove a left fist across his face, followed by an elbow as he brought his arm back around and then a right hook. This blow double backed Goku. After that, it was followed by a powerful right side kick, sending him flying into a building. By the time he was within 20 meters of it, he lost momentum and skidded along the ground, stopped when he slammed into the wall.

Vegeta on the other hand, was valiantly taking matters into his own hands. He attacked 18# without consideration, throwing punches aimed for her face. The beautiful android moved from side to side, avoiding those punches before driving her knee into his stomach. Vegeta reeled forward, gasping for breath as he was winded from the blow. 18# then ducked forward, throwing her foot into his face and sending him rearing back. After that she pushed off and came to hover several meters above, right hand held out. With a quick charge up, she unleashed a barrage of golden energy balls into him. These attacks repeatedly struck the Super Saiyan, making him groan in agony before the last blast exploded with double the ferocity of the others. The force of it sent Vegeta plummeting down toward the ground. 18# had marked her target well, and the prince landed in the same area as Goku. To finish it, Android 18# sent her power blitz attack at the ground behind him. As he was getting up, suffering third degree burns from the last barrage, an explosion occurred smack bang in front of him as if a series of landmines had gone off. Yelling in pain, he was sent flying back and into the wall Goku had crashed into. He fell down it, landing in a crumpled heap beside the other wounded Saiyan.

Trunks' luck wasn't doing so well either. As of now, he had brought his sword into action, slicing through the in an attempt to strike at 17#. The black haired android easily avoided the strikes, before bringing his right arm up and blocking an overhead strike. When Trunks' sword connected and it was thought the blow would slice the android's arm off, the young Super Saiyan got the shock of his life when the blade shattered, the shards sprinkling the two making him grit his teeth nervously. With a grin, 17# sent a punch straight into his stomach, winding him and then brought his left knee up, striking him in the chin. After making Trunks stagger back, with all the damage the Saiyan had suffered (the blows being few yet the effects incredibly deadly), 17# brought both fists up, laced his fingers, and then brought it down in a jackhammer strike. The blow collided with its target, a sonic explosion occurring at the force that sent Trunks plummeting at an accelerated rate. Just as Trunks was close to the ground, 17# appeared beneath him and threw a spinning roundhouse kick at the air space he would appear in. The kick struck its target, and sent Trunks flying into a building and punching straight through. When he emerged on the other side he had lost all momentum and fell to the ground under the structure's shadow, he landed right beside Goku and Vegeta, suffering scratches and bruises all over. The three Saiyans were beat, and unable to move but tremble where they lay.

Dr. Gero, seeing the three fighters backed up into a corner, grinned and let out a bellowing laugh. He pointed at the battered Saiyans and yelled loudly. "Yes! There is no way you are a match for my creations, Goku! They are unbeatable! Not even at your strongest are you able to fight 17# or 18#, not even Android 16#!" the maniacal scientist yelled, chuckling at the end. Little did he know was that Android 18b had managed to slip around and standing behind him, still glaring with her arms crossed. As he stepped forward, he pointed at his androids. "Now, 16#, 17# and 18#...destroy them!"

Suddenly, he felt a hand press up against his back and froze. Just then, he felt the controller from his hand get pulled out, quicker then he could even tighten his grip in reaction. He glanced behind him, seeing the raven haired android known as 18b holding up the remote while placing her right hand against his back. Dr. Gero was shocked. "W-What are you doing 18b!? What is this!?" he yelled in shock. Android 18b smirked at him, eyes hardening with an evil glint.

"I'm done taking orders from you old man," she stated in a feminine, cool voice. It was slung, and very firm, like a warrior's tone should be. Android 20# didn't move, but just trembled on the spot. "We all are. For years we have served under your hand and have gained nothing. Well, now you'll see how we feel when you brandish our fate in front of our faces!" she stated, holding up the remote and crushing it. The device fell to pieces in her grasp. Android 20#'s eyes widened.

"What! Why you insubordinate!" he growled. "You must be a defective unit! I should have known!" 18b smirked. Though 17# and 18# were too far away to even see what was happening, they knew in their sensors and senses that 18b had finally pulled off the one thing they had dreamt of doing. The brother and sister bots smiled sinisterly, listening to what else was going to happen next.

"You're through. It's time for a regime change. Pay back…" Just as Dr. Gero was spinning around, a golden ki blast suddenly shot straight through his back. It exploded out of his chest, a long stream of bright energy that lit up the skies and surrounding cityscapes. Then, a few seconds later, the blast grew and completely consumed him in a fiery death. His remains and ashes were scattered onto the winds, with the blast dying out immediately after he had been reduced to nothing but mere atoms.

Goku, Vegeta, Trunks and the rest of the Z-team present were in shock. Piccolo and his group floating high above the city streets were staring down at the cloud of smoke where Dr. Gero, the mechanical Android 20#, used to be standing. It came to them as quite a shock that the androids actually turned on their master right then and there. More overly, 18b had managed to destroy him in only a split second without any effort whatsoever.

Piccolo stammered where he floated. "S-She killed…D-Doctor Gero!"

"Whoa…mutiny on a grand scale," Yamcha said, gaping in disbelief.

"T-This…is bad," Krillin said with a stutter.

When the smoke and dust lifted, you saw the girl android standing there with her hand held out and steaming, eyes glaring down the length of her arm. After a moment or so, she lowered her arm and smirked, her eyes shimmering. "Well brothers and sister, I believe we are in control of our lives now. So let's get on with killing Goku and his friends, and let's get out of here…"

18# nodded affirmatively, glaring back down at Goku and the two other Saiyans still lying on the ground. "Sure. Have we got any other plans to go on with?" she asked. 17# shrugged.

"Don't know. Perhaps we can go find the others…and kill them too. After that…lets kill some time," 17# exclaimed. His sister grinned.

"Literally I hope…" Her brother nodded in response.

"Of course. Come on, this is no fun anymore. Let's get this over with," he stated, holding out his hand. 18# and 16# followed in kind, with the largest of the three remaining silent and just charged his attack.

The lights that emitted from their palms fell over Goku, Vegeta and Trunks; the three of them crawling back as best they could but couldn't because of all the torn muscles, bruised bones and scars they had suffered during their battles. They all had blood leaking from their mouths, indicating internal damage and bloodied bruises, showing how much the blows they suffered had taken effect. On top of that, their clothes were torn up, showing more scars and bruises. As for Trunks, his sword was broken and no lay as a blunt weapon beside him. He felt that all hope was lost from him now. Well, that's what all three of them were thinking.

"Shit," Vegeta cursed. "Now what…"

Just as the three androids in front of them nearly had their attacks at full power, they suddenly felt the earth shake before a ball of fire exploded from underneath them. The earth crumbled and split as an atomic like explosion of 50 megatons force consumed them all and threw them up into the air. All of them let out yells of shock, with debris biting at them as they spun around out of control, tossed about like leaves caught in an updraft. The explosion soon died out, leaving a huge, smoking crater. The three androids fell back to the ground, landing simultaneously with disheveled clothes and burnt skin. Goku, Trunks, Vegeta and the other Z-fighters were shocked beyond belief at what had happened, not knowing where the explosion had come from. But then, after sensing a familiar ki drift in front the distance, Goku smiled and chuckled.

"Gohan!" he exclaimed. Trunks grinned as well.

"Thank goodness!" Vegeta however, was more or less annoyed. The reason being was that his heart was racing a mile a minute, as if he were having a heart attack.

"Well, it's about time!"

16#, 17# and 18# glanced behind them up the ridge where the crater's perimeter began. They could see the black smoke still bellowing out of its base, clouding up everything, including the skies above. Suddenly, they saw a shadow emerge out of the black essence, catching their eyes, attention and sensors. 16#"s ability to detect power levels was literally crushed at the sheer magnitude he was feeling radiating off of this new being. Within seconds, all doubt was drained and replaced with a new feeling of hope. Then, the voice of the child spoke up.

"Leave them to me!" he stated. A fierce gale of wind erupted, blowing the smoke away so that it parted, revealing a golden glowing Gohan floating within the crater and smoke. His arms were crossed and he was wearing his symbolic gi. His whitish, gold hair waved wildly in the winds of his energy. It chopped at the ground, tearing it up and sending debris and rubble everywhere. The very transformation to Super Saiyan made the androids cover their faces as the winds slammed into them, nearly toppling them from their present positions. Golden bolts of electricity shot out of him, with his form also surrounded by the familiar, radioactive glow of gold.

After making his surprise appearance, he floated up into the sky, arms still crossed and allowing him to float up to a certain altitude. His eyes glared down at the three androids that had caused his family and friends so much trouble this far, a distasteful frown on his face. From here, and just upon arrival, he sensed several problems. One of which was that the androids didn't have any power levels or ki signatures of any sorts. Second was the fact that there were four now (minus Dr. Gero), and not two. He could also detect a more sinister plot behind their being here, but didn't let that get to him. It was the fact that they were here and his father, Vegeta and surprisingly Mirai Trunks were already defeated. After a moment, he reached his preferred height and held himself there, still glaring down at the three androids lying at the crater's edge.

Then, when it seemed that the Z-fighters would be gawking at him for the whole day, Android 18b suddenly appeared in the skies with him, coming to float on the other side of the 100 meter wide crater. She was dropped in a defensive stance, and was staring at him with wide eyes and a open wide, a bead of sweat appearing on her forehead. She saw the young Saiyan glance over at her, arms folded and eyes shining in his aura. When she saw his face, she gritted her teeth, the nervous bead of sweat running down the side of her head. Immediately after seeing his face, her eyes lit up with readouts and computer data outputs, her ki sensors coming into focus.

"**Primary Target Sighted…Initiate Primary Onboard Programming Software: Download Completed. Engage Protocol Absolution…Terminate Primary Target: Son Gohan. Threat: Critical,"** the readouts in her sights projected. It beeped and flashed in front of her, with her artificial brain data bringing her orders to the surface and kicking control back into her. As soon as these came out, as well as the power level reading, she gritted her teeth even more and clenched her fists. Even though she had powerful inclinations of destroying her target, she began experiencing doubts about her survival.

"_It's him…Gohan!"_ she thought. Android 18b became sweaty in the face, and not just from the fact she was being overrun by commands issued to her by the computer Dr. Gero used to implant these orders into her. The girl was becoming nervous at the sight of the child and the amount of power her sensors were detecting coming off of him. After a low growl, she took an attack stance, one as fierce as the Tiger Claw stance her target was familiar for and yelled. "You're mine Son Gohan!"

Gohan raised an eyebrow, puzzled by the android's sudden outburst. Just then, in a flash of light, the android shot straight for him, letting out a cry of anger and punching straight out at him. The young Saiyan was quick to act. He grabbed her fist and twisted it about, slacking her momentum and ramming a back hammer fist into her face. The blow was strong enough to send her drifting back, the young Saiyan finding that even with this effort; he wasn't able to do any hard damage but just bruised her face. When the android floated back, she fisted her hands into a horse riding stance and growled again before flying at him, picking up the speed. Gohan gritted his teeth and turned to her, preparing for a fight he was sure to put effort in to. Just then, he engaged the girl in a fight of flying fists and kicks. Her clawed hands lashed out at him, as well as hundreds of kicks and elbows. The young Saiyan began avoiding them at a faster rate, beginning to worry at being struck by any of her palms. The android's attacks were incredibly fast, agile and precise, as well as lethal. He fell back through the air, their furious battle seen from the ground below. You could hear the sounds made by their flying attacks, as well as the exploding forces of connecting blows on defenses.

The other three androids on the ground saw their sister entering the fight without any backup, and saw that their comrade was having the hardest time of her life. Glancing at each other, 16#, 17# and 18# nodded affirmatively, coming to a silent agreement before taking off into the air to join 18b in the fight. Mirai growled and held a hand up, but winced when he felt a bolt of pain run up his from his lower back.

"GOHAN! LOOK OUT!" he yelled.

Gohan continued flashing furious, unyielding attacks at his opponent, who was yelling out with every attack she threw. She was obviously getting into the fight, and was putting a great deal of effort into her assaults to try and hit him. At this point, he was the one putting her under pressure as his counter attacks were beginning to hit on home. Just then, the other three androids appeared on either side of him, to his left, right and behind him, all of them taking stances of preparation. This made him nervous, since he was now surrounded. Just then, as he was defending himself from swift, strong punches unleashed by 18b, he saw from the corners of his eyes, the three other androids raise their hands towards him and fire off ki blasts aimed directly for him. At the sight of them, he quickly dispatched of 18b and kicked her away, the girl letting out a cry of pain at being kicked in the chest. Then, without a moment to lose, with his aura still warping, he shot straight up, avoiding the blasts. However, when he thought that they were to exploded on impact with each other, the changed course and followed after him like heat seeking missiles. They flew upwards, with 18b, 17#, 16# and 18# giving chase.

Gohan flew up and up, still chased by the three golden ki blasts. He glared behind him, furrowing his brow in frustration when he saw the attacks picking up speed.

"Darn it!" he cursed, spinning around.

The blasts closed in fast, all of them entering his range at different intervals. The time they had to reach him was all he needed. Taking to the defensive, he deflected all three light-blasts, knocking them to the sides one after another. After which, he turned to his next targets, the four androids shooting up at him after the ki attacks. He begrudgingly cursed in his head, knowing that these odds against him were painfully tough. 18b was at the head of the group, and as she flew at him, she threw her left fist at him first, intent on striking him. Gohan had no intention of getting hit and brought both fists up, locking fingers and bringing a strike down on her. The blow struck her in the back of her head, sending her plummeting. She was followed by 17#, who immediately locked horns with him the instant he made contact. Gohan blocked the three straight punches, two uppers cuts, three hooks and round house kicks he sent his way before striking him across the face with a right palm strike. Just then, 18# appeared behind him and surprised the young Saiyan with a side kick directly between his shoulder blades. He yelped and moved forward from how precise the blow was and took to the defensive. He became overshadowed as both Android 17# and 18# came at him, forcing him to alternate from side to side to defend himself from their attacks. They lashed at him relentlessly, fists and kicks flying. Gohan countered every blow. Soon, he began to feel the pressure seep onto him, so decided to change tactics. After avoiding the two pronged attack from both sides, he twirled and flew up, sending his feet outwards in a double, split kick. He struck the two androids in the faces, knocking them back and away. Just then, Android 16# appeared in front of him, right fist held back. He struck out, only to meet a faster fist from Gohan that sent him staggering back through the air with a bruised face and bleeding lip. The blow was quite powerful.

The four androids had broken and fallen back from the attacks Gohan had brought down upon them. But they were minor blows compared to everything that has been displayed to them. Then, all at once, the four androids shot at Gohan, pinning him the centre and began lashing out at him with flurries of punches and kicks. The young Saiyan was caught between a rock and a hard place as he was forced to defend from all sides. he spun round and round, shifting between all four opponents at speeds not even the Z-fighters could track. He was moving fast, so fast that he matched the androids blow for blow. Now locked in this fray, he found it quite impossible to break out of it. The brawl was taken across the skies, with all five of them drifting about and still locked in this battle. Fists flew, with every connecting attack sounding a shock wave, which ripped the skies with its force. Gohan was landing critical hits himself, but was receiving more then he could handle. However, he was able to defend a good 75 percent of the attacks, giving him time to counterattack but get attacked himself. Even so, he continued putting up a good fight.

He sent a roundhouse kick across 17#'s face, sending him back before suddenly flying at 18# and hammering across her face with a straight punch. This left him exposed below, where Android 16# came up with a powerful knee, sending him flying up, where he was jackhammer smashed by Android 18b flying down, sending the strike straight into his back. Gohan let out a yell as he plummeted down towards the ground at an uncontrolled speed. However, using his influence over energy, he managed to propel his energy downwards, creating a lift that slowed him down and stopped him before he hit the ground. Turning so that he was upright, he glared up into the skies. Here, he let out a gasp when he saw Android 18# charging down at him, letting out a long yell in her charge. In response, Gohan pulled back his right hand and threw it up, firing a powerful, yellow ki blast. It shot straight up for 18#, catching her by surprise and exploding when it struck her head long. The force was great, sending her flying out of the cloud of smoke it formed, smoking and burnt, with her clothes torn in several places. As he saw the body of the blonde android falling out of the sky, he suddenly saw Android's 16# and 18b shoot out of the cloud and straight down to him, swooping in and ready to strike. Gohan was prepared. He leapt back, retreating before they could reach him. From here, increasing his escape rate, he began back flipping over the rough terrain, hands-feet-hands-feet-hands-feet and so on, jumping from point to point, and his distance between his opponents growing and growing. Then, after leaping to stand a top of a diminutive point that happened to be a flag pole, Gohan pushed off and flew into the skies, pulling back his right hand and charging up his next attack. Blue beams of light shot out of the spaces in his fingers before he threw the attack forward. The blast shattering on release, shards of blue ki flying through the air and falling straight for 16# and 18b. The two androids were caught by surprise when the shards exploded just short of them, fiery explosions or orange, red and gold heading straight for them, spraying smoke and sparks in their path. To avoid the blazing attack, the two androids broke and shot off in different directions, avoiding the blast radius' that would surely have cooked them both.

Gohan saw his attack end with a final series of explosions and he pulled back, glaring. Android 17# chose to attack now, shooting out from his left and beginning to lash out at him. The young Saiyan engaged him, defending the first barrage of punches before beginning to launch his own. The two began locked in a quick speeded brawl. The android unleashed flurries of attacks on him, but all failed with Gohan meeting them with a strong, inexhaustible defense. From a distance, the other Z-fighters were watching on with awe, seeing how well Gohan was fairing against them. Goku, Vegeta and Trunks, who had dropped out of Super Saiyan some time before, were also looking up in shock. The pain they felt was blinded by amazement, seeing the Saiyan child fighting one on four against their foes. Piccolo and the others were in states of utter bewilderment. First they thought the ki Gohan emitted was amazing. But the fight he was putting up was even more to gawk at.

"Whoa, look at him go guys!" Tien exclaimed. "Unbelievable!"

"I know. Crack! Ouch!" Yamcha said, cringing when he saw Gohan kick 17# straight in the stomach, sending the android falling. He wasn't spared to rest when Android's 18b and 18# appeared out of the blue and began attacking him simultaneously. The young Saiyan easily fended off their attacks and altered assaults between both of them, moving in and out and shifting continuously. Yamcha grinned. "Man, that's gotta hurt for them!"

"Way to go Gohan!" Krillin exclaimed, holding up a fist and cheering him on. Piccolo was smiling as well, watching his student tackle on Android 16# as well. The hulking android joined in on the fray to get his share of the fight.

"Yeah. You have to admit. Gohan's training has definitely paid off," the Namek said, lowering his head and arms folded over his chest. Yamcha grinned, blinking with every shock wave he heard ring out. A building suddenly exploded when a golden ki ball struck it, shooting from out of the blue, demolishing it and sending its remains toppling to the ground in a smoking cloud.

"Heh…I wonder what he does to train. I can barely get any further than this," the warrior exclaimed in amusement. Krillin shrugged.

"Don't know, but that's definitely something to think about!"

Android 17# flew out from the shadows of the building he had just been knocked towards. Bruised and battered beyond recognition, he let out an angered roar and threw his right hand forward, unleashing a large, blue ki blast. As Gohan was fighting Android 16# and 18#, the three of them spotted the blast out of the corner of their eyes and leapt out of the way, avoiding it. Gohan had to back flip to avoid it, just as it skimmed up and shot straight into space. When he up righted himself, he flew back in retreat, only for 18b to appear behind him some distance away, both hands held up. Gohan growled and turned around, seeing the black haired android behind him. He turned just in time to see her fire off a barrage of blue ki blasts, all of them aimed directly for him. Spinning about, Gohan pulled his hands back and powered up. With his auras warping around him crackling with bolts of golden lightning, the young Saiyan threw both his hands forward and unleashed twelve, concentrated, high energy blasts. The golden balls of energy streaked through the sky, his _Scattered Volley Shot_ playing its part in this fray. His attacks collided with 18b's blasts, disintegrating them and continuing on. The girl let out a scream and crossed her arms over her face. The blasts impacted with her repeatedly, badly burning and beating her up. When the final blast connected, it exploded with incredible force, sending her plummeting down towards the ground, smoking and clothes tattered.

Just then, Gohan spun around, seeing Android 17# flying at him. The cowboy fighter threw a hook across the young Saiyan's face, surprising him with the blow that sent him flying fast from the force of the blow. He streaked through the skies, spinning out of control and unable to stop. The other androids took advantage of this opportunity. Android 16# appeared above him; fists locked and held up above him. He took a downward strike at the Saiyan, sending him plummeting downwards with the blow. Android 18# then appeared beneath him, kneeing him in the stomach and sending him flying back up. He flew up faster then he fell, with Android 18# in pursuit. When she reached him, she flew up behind him and sent a powerful roundhouse kick into his side. Gohan was struck full long with the blow, sending him spinning into the distance. After a moment of uncontrolled flying, the young Saiyan managed to stop himself and returned to the fight, looking around for his targets. 16#, 17# and 18# wasted no time and came in for their attacks. They engaged him in the battle at the same time, driving him back with flurries of punches and kicks. Gohan avoided and blocked all their attacks with some trouble, but always managed to counter attack whenever given the opportunity. They all lashed out at him fast, with his blows almost unseen but connecting. The fight was swift and decisive, with Gohan being driven back ever so slowly. Then, after feeling the full brunt of the tri-pronged attack, the young Saiyan powered up, his golden aura exploding around him and sending the three androids back from the force of its appearance. Gohan then flew straight forward, honing in on all of them with his assault. He began laying down barrages and bombardments of specially charged punches and kicks. His quick strikes and hard pressed attacks began to exhaust the androids, forcing them into a retreat.

Android 16# came up at him, striking out with a powered up right fist. The blow was parried by Gohan, with the charged Super Saiyan using the opportunity to grab his wrist and pull him forward. With it, he sent a back-hammer strike with his left across 16#'s face, sending him staggering back. At that moment, 17# and 18# flew in to launch their assault. But they pulled back sharply when they saw the slashing of blue, light strikes swirling around Gohan. When they leapt away, they saw Gohan with his sword drawn, held out to his right and glaring from left to right at the two androids assaulting him from either side. After scaring them off, he spun his sword round and sheathed it. When his weapon was shoved away, Android 17# and 18# flew up at him at full speed, ready to strike. Noticing their lack of concentration, Gohan brought both his hands up and grabbed both their heads, slamming them into each other. This knocked them senseless at the surprise move, allowing Gohan to leap up high into the air and escape them as they were regaining their composure. Curling up and spinning, Gohan opened up and brought both his palms up, one hand on top of the other. A golden ball of energy appeared in his hand, sparkling and growing as more energy was gathered into it. As it charged up, he chanted the words clear as day.

"MAAAaaaa…SEEeeennn…KOOOoooo…HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" he roared, unleashing the attack. The yellow blast short forth from his hands and straight down, consuming the two androids in a bright, blinding light. However, the effects of the attack were even more devastating. 17# and 18# were practically blasted away by it, as well as the force of the explosion that occurred seconds after contact. The brother and sister plummeted from the skies, burnt and leaving a trail of smoke in their wake.

When the fire and the cloud of smoke from the explosion died out, Gohan was seen floating amongst it, fists held at his side and eyes glaring down at the cityscapes. He looked from left to right, trying to spot out any of the other androids. Before he could, he heard a whiz sound on the wind and leapt out of the way in surprise when several, black, metal objects came zipping past his previous position. As fast as bullets, more of them came his way, forcing Gohan to make a run for it. There was no questions asked, he was being shot at. But by what?

Coming close to one of the buildings, he dropped out of flight mode and began running along the side of the structure. He was followed by a series of cracks and exploding dust, indicating the black objects shooting up at him and following him, but missing and hitting the side of the building. Whoever had him in his sights wasn't letting up one bit. Sprinting along the building as fast as he could, Gohan let out a yell and did a major leap, moving out and kicking himself back into flight mode. Spotting the projectiles continuing to shoot up at him, he followed it to its source and circled the skies, closing in on the centre. Some time later, he landed on top of a pile of rubble in the middle of a barren, destroyed street. The area had been cleared, and was pretty much empty. When he looked towards the thing that was shooting him, he saw Android 18b standing just a ways away, tossing a Kunai in her hand and catching it by the small handle. She glared at him through those cold eyes of hers, unblinking. Gohan stood up straight, furrowing his brow and narrowing his eyes on her.

After a moment of standing in the clear, Android 18b began to speak. "I'm going to kill you Son Gohan. I was ordered to by Dr. Gero, and I have no inclination of turning back now," she stated. The young Saiyan just stared, blinking.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked. "You killed Dr. Gero, saying that you don't want to follow his orders anymore! Why continue the very thing _he _set out for you? There's nothing to be gained from killing innocent people." The Android gritted her teeth and held up a shaky fist at him.

"I'm just following orders okay! I have to do this!" she yelled. Gohan was now really becoming concerned about her wellbeing, as well if she was alright. Even though she was an android, he couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

"But…why?"

This really got her started. She fisted her hands tightly and stepped towards him angrily. "It was you who did this to me! It's all your fault!!!" she screamed, tears welling up in her eyes. Gohan raised an eyebrow, now really confused.

"W-What? How could I…"

"It was because of you Dr. Gero turned me into an android! You are the reason my life was taken away! Dr. Gero wanted someone to kill you, because he feared you were too great a threat to him! He kidnapped me and turned me into this!" she cried. "I never wanted this! Now I have no family, no friends…no one! I've served under him for too long at a cost! So the only thing I have left to do is to kill you! And then everything will be alright!"

Gohan was slightly taken aback by her outbreak. She was desperately trying to hold back her tears, he could tell. He was also quite surprised by another fact. "And you think I'm the cause of all your problems? I never wanted this to happen to anyone either!" he said, holding his hands out and gesturing towards all the death, destruction and other androids around him. The Z-fighters were still watching over him intently, listening to what was being said. "I just never knew there were any victims! And not just the innocent people of this planet! I tried helping these people, defending them and protecting the earth! Why?! Why do you blame me when you know what I'm doing is right?!"

The girl gritted her teeth and yelled again. "Because you did what you did! And now I'll do what I have to do!" she cried. Cranking her hand back, she threw the Kunai at him. Gohan barely avoided the projectile as it came whizzing past, impaling the wall behind him and going straight through. As he was still moving, the raven haired android pulled out the two Lajinaa knives behind her and charged at him with a yell.

She shot at Gohan at top speed, pulling her weapons back and preparing to strike. Gohan was ready for her. Crouching into a defensive stance, he pulled back, avoiding the first strike. She came at him with swift, quick, and deadly slash attacks, her knives cutting through the air easily. It was as if she was punching out at him, but with these new weapons added to her arsenal. Android 18b honed in on her assault, throwing all sorts of strike techniques, using the combinations she was downloaded with. Gohan had to leap back after one particular strike. He landed several feet back, dropped in a cautious stance. He watched the girl leap at him, pulling back her right hand and ready to strike. This, he wouldn't allow this time. He grabbed the sheath behind him and twisted it around him so that the sword was at his side. Then, grabbing the handle of his weapon, he spun around and then jabbed the android in the stomach with the butt end of his sword. 18b was hit full on by it, winded and knocked back without even landing a single strike on him. The bruised up Super Saiyan then spun the sheath back round, at the same time, drawing his sword fully. He held it up firmly, dropped in a fighting stance and glaring at the android with a warrior's focus.

Staggering to a stop, Android 18b growled and, with a bellowing yell, launched herself at him again. She struck out with her small knives, with Gohan bringing his sword about and blocking every strike she attempted. He backed away at the same time, easily finding flaws in her attacks. He knew she wasn't an expert at this, and for a fact she was really upset and wasn't able to concentrate. So, when she came in with a left jab with her knife, Gohan slashed his sword down on the blade, shattering it before slapping her wrist away with the flat end of his weapon. Yelping from the sharp pain she felt, she slashed out with her other knife again, only for Gohan to stop that and, running his blade over her's, turned it about in her grip before tossing it out of her hand. Pulling back his sword, he slashed it across her leg, carving a nice cut into her thigh, making her yelp and step back. She staggered back, dropping into a horse riding stance and glaring hatefully at him. Gohan managed to sheath his sword, just as the girl launched herself at him again. When she reached him, she sent a punch directly for his face; only he grabbed her fist and held her there firmly in place. He didn't have to try to hold her there, and just watched her tremble and try to pull her fist away.

They stayed that way for a moment, with tears beginning to stream down her cheeks as she glared at her. Gohan stared at her, serious expression on his face and not bothering to let up. But then, he released her hand and let her fall back. She growled at him before sending punches into his chest. The young Super Saiyan had considered defending himself, but something told him better. When her fists connected, they were child's play, light, yet forced. He watched her strike his chest, stance slacking and body trembling. She cried and began pounding his chest with the bottom sides of her fists, as if hitting a wall and cursing. 18b sobbed.

"I…I'll kill you…Son Gohan…I…I will…kill you…" she cried, her legs beginning to give way beneath her. Gohan's expression lowered from his serious expression to a rather sad expression. He looked down at her as she fell to her knees, still pounding him with her fists. Now weakened and unable to fight anymore, she just knelt in front of him, crying and sobbing into his chest. She stopped hitting him moments later. "I…I'll…kill you…"

Gohan blinked, staring down at the girl with sadness edged in his expression. He heard her sob and whimper, unable to do anything else. Piccolo, Krillin, Yamcha and Tien who were floating high above them were also watching. Krillin and Yamcha felt and looked rather sorry for her as well, all excitement of their victory disappearing with the moment. Goku and Trunks, who had managed to get back up, and help Vegeta to his feet too, were looking over at Gohan and his opponent with similar expressions as well. The scene was very hurtful to them too, except for Vegeta, who was resting up from his beating. He lost consciousness not long ago.

After a moment or so, Gohan sighed and took the girl by the shoulders, pushing her away. He made her look up at him, eyes red and still welling with tears. He nodded to her in reassurance, just keeping her in that position. Her arms, as well as her body, fell limply.

"I'm sorry for what happened to you," Gohan confessed, eyes wavering just like hers. "But you can't let it get to you. You can try to make it right yourself, fix it, and make something of it. The suffering of others, and attacking yourself, isn't going to help. It only kills you more on the inside. Just…let it go," he said softly.

18b just stared at him, still blinking with tears running down her cheeks. She gulped and then nodded; before she let her head fall. Gohan released her and stepped back. He continued to stare down at her for a moment, but then a booming yell from behind caught his attention and he spun around. He saw Android 16# charging at him, soaring across the cityscapes at breakneck speeds with a serious expression on his face.

Gohan gasped and leapt back, back flipping over 18b just as Android 16 sent a straight up kick where he once stood, missing his sister android just barely. The young Saiyan soared stayed some time in the air, and landed some distance away, leaping back repeatedly before stopping so that he at least 50 yards away from Android 16#. The massive android wasted no time. So, maneuvering around 18b, he shot at Gohan again, yelling at the top of his lungs in attack. He sent a powerful punch straight for him, only for Gohan to leap out of the way and follow him, turning in his direction. 16#, realizing he had missed, changed course and flew at Gohan again, sending a jump kick at him this time. His foot flew through the air at the young Saiyan, and it seemed as though he would hit. Gohan however was ready. He sent a right, roundhouse kick up at Android 16#"s foot. He hit it, knocking him off target and off balance. The giant android fell to the ground with a loud crash, losing all momentum and forward force. But that didn't keep him down.

Getting back to his feet, he held his fists up as if in a boxing match. He gritted his teeth and, pulling back his right fist, sent a power punch at Gohan. The young Super Saiyan caught it in his left hand, grabbing his knuckles with his right hand and pulling the hulking fighter down. At the same time, he brought his left leg up and drove it into Android 16#'s side. The blow was harsh, making the android groan from the sharp strike. He was unable to move, what with the position they were in. However, with great effort, he managed to pull his fist free and grab Gohan by the collar with his massive, right hand. He lifted the young Saiyan off the ground, holding him suspended in mid-air. Gohan gritted his teeth and growled, needing to get out of this lock. So, bringing his left leg up, he threw it over Android 16#'s arm so that it curled around, and then, he twisted it. By doing this, he threw Android 16# off balance and caused him to release him. However, it was not the release he was expecting as his gi top was torn apart. His left sleeve slid off his arm, leaving his left side exposed. Now on his feet, the young Saiyan dropped into his symbolic fighting stance, right fist at his cheek, left hand held out in a chop state with his left leg held forward and right leg held back and bent. He glared at Android 16# as he stopped staggering and returned to the fight.

With a growl, he charged at Gohan, only to be met with a furious combination attack. He used his signature _Shadow Strike_, leaping off the ground and sending a jab straight into his face, knocking him back. This was followed by a right hook, then a left hook, a right hook and then a right knee. The blows were quick and precise, staggering 16# back with bruises appearing everywhere he was struck. Gohan then spun round and axe kicked him with his right leg, knocking his head down before spinning around and using the same leg with a backwards roundhouse kick. The strike hit him clean in the face, knocking him back. Then, Gohan following through with a final left roundhouse kick to his face, landing and watching him stagger back. Android 16# was beginning to recover, just as Gohan prepared his final strike. Crouching low, Gohan swung his left hand round then threw it, aiming it up directed at the androids face. With a yell, Gohan fired off an invisible blast of energy. Just as Android 16# was turning to face his opponent, the blast suddenly struck him cleaning in the left side of his face near the top of his head. The blast exploded and continued on, carving a clean hole and knocking a huge chunk out of him. Pieces of machinery, artificial flesh and computer parts flew everywhere, just as Android 16# fell back to the floor. His left eye was tightly shut due to the burn marks, leaving him in a critically damaged state. Gohan was shocked when he saw how effective his technique was and how much strength he had put into it.

"_NO! Damn! I didn't mean to make it so strong!"_ he yelled in his thoughts. He clenched his fists and stood up, teeth gritted nervously. Just then, he heard another yell from behind and glanced over his shoulder. There, he saw a orange, bright light soaring towards him, making him take evasive maneuvers.

"YOU!" the voice of the android number 18# called, the blast obviously coming from her. "You'll pay for that!" she cried, flying past 18b who continued to kneel limply where she was, staring off into space with that lifeless stare, tears staining her cheeks. 18# was quickly followed by 17#, the both of them intent on making Gohan pay for damaging Android 16# so badly.

The blast 18# had fired struck a over passing walkway connected to two damaged building. The blast exploded, sending debris, dust and rubble down at Gohan. He crossed his arms over his chest and ducked, so that he didn't get struck by any of the falling debris. When he past through the cloud, he emerged, still in defense, but was unprepared when he received knees to the head from both 17# and 18#. The two androids knocked him down into a toppled building, the young Saiyan crashing sprawled out, forming an imprint of himself and getting himself stuck. He groaned, feeling the effects of a head ache and pain shooting through his body coming into focus. He opened his eyes, glaring up only to see Android 17# and 18# floating at least twenty stories above him. He growled and gritted his teeth but gasped a second later in shock when he saw the two androids aim their hands down towards him, golden balls of energy glowing in their palms.

The Z-fighters watched anxiously, waiting for Gohan to react. However, they didn't realize that the young Saiyan was unable to pull himself out of his predicament. In a flash of light, seconds after Gohan had crashed into the building, Androids 17# and 18# began firing hundreds of ki blasts down at him. The devastating barrage rained down on him like an actual rain storm. The blasts tore up the building he lay on and the ground beneath him. A cloud of dust and smoke began to rise as well as a development of a glowing fireball. It enveloped Gohan completely, with the blasts continuously raining down on him. It was a death storm, and he was feeling the burn. With a cry of agony, the last things Gohan saw was a bright flash of light before everything blacked out on him. A huge explosion occurred after 17# and 18# finished their _Energy Rain_ technique with a final, charged up blast, sending it into the expanding ball. The explosion that occurred had the force of a Hydrogen bomb, but packed to blast effective range and appearance of a bag of C4 going off or a fuel station lighting up. A massive crater was punched into the ground where Gohan once was, the golden fire ball enveloping everything within a 100 meter radius. Gohan's cry echoed all around, but faded in the wake of the explosion. The Z-fighters were shocked.

"GOHAN!" Piccolo.

"NOOO! GOHAN!" Goku cried, walking forward only to fall to his hands and knees after a few feet. The rest of the Z-team present just gaped in silence, the light of the atomic explosion falling over them.

A few moments after the explosion had occurred it died out, leaving nothing but a pillar of smoke and a pile of smoking rubble lying stacked in the crater from several of the buildings that had collapsed into it due to the bombardment. After the explosion vanished, 17# and 18# lowered their hands and then floated down to help Android 16# and 18b. Android 17# helped the raven haired girl back to her feet and led her over to 18#, who was putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling him up. 17# nodded to her when he reached her with 18b in tow.

"Let's get out of here…" he said. 18# agreed and, with their two comrades under wing, the four of them left the city. They climbed altitude and then took off into the distance, leaving the Z-fighters to grieve.

_**TO BE CONTINUED**_

****

* * *

_**Power levels:**_

**(Battle with the Androids):**

_**ANDROIDS:**_

**Android 16#:**

Base: 30,000,000

Base (Full Power): 40,000,000

Base (Damaged): 20,000,000

**Android 17#:**

Base: 25,000,000

Base (Full Power): 35,000,000

**Android 18#:**

Base: 23,000,000

Base (Full Power): 33,000,000

**Android 18b#:**

Base: 28,000,000

Base (Full Power): 36,000,000

**Android 20# (Dr. Gero):**

Base: 5,500,000

Base (Fully Charged): 10,000,000

**Bio-Saibamen:**

Base (All: Adjusts to match opponent's strength) : 1,000,000

* * *

_**Z-FIGHTERS:**_

**Gohan:**

Base: 21,000,000

Base (Full Power): 30,000,000

Super Saiyan: 45,000,000

**Goku:**

Base: 10,500,000

Kaioken X 50: 15,800,000

Super Saiyan: 21,000,000

**Vegeta:**

Base: 9,000,000

Base (Full Power): 12,000,000

Super Saiyan: 18,500,000

**Mirai Trunks (w/sword):**

Base: 8,500,000

Base (Full Power): 11,000,000

Super Saiyan: 16,800,000

**Piccolo:**

Base: 9,000,000

Sync with Nail: 14,000,000

**Krillin:**

Base: 1,850,000

**Tien:**

Base: 1,400,000

**Yamcha:**

Base: 1,120,000


	22. Rethink

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Rethink_

The Z-fighters gathered around the crater, all in fits of worry and concern. Under the brilliant sun and blue sky, which was slowly filling with smog due to the amount of destruction that had taken place as well as several burning petrol depots in the distance, the entire gang stared into the very place Gohan had been. The androids were sure not to leave anything unturned or underdone. The detail and power that was taken and used in the energy rain technique wasted an entire city block, leaving this massive crater here filled with rubble, debris and cracks. It looked as though an atomic bomb had just gone off, or something relatively close to it. Whatever the case, they could not feel Gohan's energy, and the androids were now gone. Their thrill and concern was drowned out by poisonous remorse and sadness.

Krillin had recently gone around and passed out the Senzu beans to each of his friends and comrades. Once they had all recovered, they all stood around the very edge of the landmark. Pipes that stuck up out of the ground from the underground sewer sprayed all sorts of liquids out onto the earth. It soaked cleanly through, plus the rubble remains of the buildings piled up inside the crater didn't leave much to the imagination. It was a dreadful sight. And the fact that Gohan was gone meant a lot. They had lost a good friend, ally and family member. Everyone was upset.

"H-He's gone…" Krillin stuttered. Trunks shook his head, stepping forward. He nearly slipped when a piece of ground beneath him gave way and slid down into the crater. He stepped back, still looking up at the spectacle of building remains. Moments later, his legs gave way and he fell to his knees in grief.

"It can't be…it just…can't be!" the future warrior said.

"There's just no way!" Yamcha shouted. "He was doing so well…"

"And he was beating them too," Tien added. Goku and Piccolo were the most broken here. Even though they didn't want to believe it, but Gohan was gone. They couldn't sense his life force or ki level. It had just completely vanished. There was no way he could have survived that last barrage.

"Gohan," Piccolo choked out through a croaky voice. He shook his head, his hands fisting and teeth gritting. "Darn those androids! DAMN IT!" he yelled, slamming his foot into the ground which cracked and shook. "He's gone, and it's all thanks to them!"

Goku could barely keep his footing as he stared into the crater. His eyes wavered and welled with tears. Crying was a rare thing to see on him at this age, and he hasn't cried since…well…ever. He gritted his teeth and shut his eyes, looking away. His fists were balled at his sides and were trembling. He refused to believe his son was dead, not now. "Damn it…Gohan…!"

The Z-fighters remained in complete silence now. All but their thoughts were held up. Trunks was cursing at himself on the inside, while Vegeta was complimenting Gohan on being a worthy adversary, Saiyan and friend. They all remained where they were, paying their respects to the young Super Saiyan. However, their thoughts were cut short when they felt the rise of a familiar ki from deep within the rubble and the earth beginning to shake. It caught them all off guard. Every Z-fighter present in the area looked up, eyes widening in surprise as they rested their sights on the landmark and cold marvel. They saw pieces of debris rolling down the slopes of the mountain remains, followed by even larger chunks and then boulder sized pieces of building. They all backed away suddenly when sharp beams of golden light began shooting out of the crevices and spaces. The appearances of the light essence was accompanied by a sharp shock wave and a fierce, earth quake. The Z-fighters stepped back even more, with their senses opening up when they heard a muffled cry growing and growing into a audible yell. A golden aura shot out from the rubble, enveloping it and ripping it away little by little. The shock Piccolo and Goku felt died out and they grinned, knowing who it was instantly after they felt the ki rise to this height.

"Nice one kid," Piccolo exclaimed.

"Gohan! He's alive!" Goku exclaimed happily. At this news, the Z-fighters all laughed and cheered, but were silenced when the rubble piled on top of the young Saiyan was blown away. The whirlwind and hurricane forces threw the rubble away, tearing it apart so that it was only a hail storm of small stones. Most of the remains was disintegrated within the aura's explosive entry.

Soon, after the massive warping aura had torn and blew away all of the building remains, a figure from deep within the crevices of the crater emerged. Floating up to ground level, the battered, burnt and bruised form of Gohan turned around, golden bolts of lightning shooting out of his energy output, and his form surrounded by a radioactive golden glow. He was lit up like a light bulb, but his back was turned to his friends. Several seconds after reaching ground height, he turned around, pupils also glowing gold. They showed no signs of anger or sadness, just an incredible depth of power. When he turned around fully, his aura died out, revealing the young Saiyan in normal form. He slowly floated down to the edge of the crater where the others were, all of them backing away to give him more space as he landed. When they got their first good look at him, they were shocked at how beat up he was.

He was so beat up he didn't look like himself anymore. His hair was even messier then normal, plus his clothes were all torn up and disheveled. The entire left side of his outfit was torn away, revealing burnt, bruised and battered up arm, shoulder, chest and abs. The right leg of his gi pants was completely torn away, also revealing a bruised up leg. His sword was still wrapped around him, and the bag of Senzu beans at his side remained, as if untouched. His tail waved behind him, showing some damaged but only burns. To finish up, he had blood leaking from his forehead, under his eye, corners of his mouth and from his knee. It was remarkable he was still able to stand.

The others were delighted.

"Gohan!" Tien exclaimed.

"Dude, you're alright," Yamcha continued, both of them holding up fists, as if they had just won something.

Krillin chuckled, placing his hands on his hips. "Of course he's alright. He's a Super Saiyan, what else do you expect!? Nothing can put him down, not even if you run him over with a steamroller," the monk laughed. Gohan looked around at his friends, eyes solid like marble.

After a brief look around, he turned back to the crater behind him and held his left hand out toward some open space. His friends watched curiously as a flash of blue light sparkled when a certain object came whizzing out from a pot hole in the ground. The light reached the young Saiyan who caught it in his hand and brought it around, looking down at it. He examined the state his crystal, blue-heart pendant was before he tied it back around him. Completely undamaged like his sword, he sighed and lowered his hands back down after his pendant was done up.

"I expected better from myself. I never counted on being attacked so suddenly by those androids," Gohan said, making sure everyone heard him. He glanced up at his friends, his expression lightning but still remaining a bit serious. "However, I have no vengeful intentions. That will only be more consequential to me and would further complicate matters."

Trunks turned to him in surprise. "How can it be more consequential Gohan?" he asked. "The complicated bit is over. You had those four androids against the ropes, but then you just slipped up one bit and they got away!" Vegeta nodded affirmatively.

"Kakabrat! If you had any true heart of a Saiyan, you would have shown those machines no mercy! You could have killed them right then and there, and you could have put an end to this nightmare!" the Saiyan Prince stated. Gohan glanced over at the two of them, eyes flashing.

"I'm sorry to say this Vegeta, but I'm not like you!" the Saiyan child stated. "Those androids may appear to be just tools under Dr. Gero's wing, but to me they mean more then that. They were once innocent people, until _he_ turned them into ruthless killing machines! I never take a life unless it is necessary. I just needed to get through to them so that they don't cause any further trouble for us. Plus…" Gohan continued, turning to have everyone in his sights. "I don't feel right slaying a female. It's not my thing to fight over…"

Yamcha turned to Krillin and shrugged. "At least he has good common sense…" Krillin smiled.

"Don't you mean 'shows respect to women'? I think it relates more to that term than yours," the monk commented. Yamcha chuckled and leaned over, whispering into his friend's ear.

"Either way, he's going to become quite the ladies man," the fighter joked. Krillin suppressed a laugh down to a chuckle and nodded in agreement, the two of them returning to regular standing positions.

"Well, you did the right thing, Gohan," Goku said, walking up to his son and placing his hand on the young Saiyan's shoulder. The Son father nodded to him with a proud smile. "At least you're considering the person you are fighting and not killing him or her then and there…" When he pulled his hand back, he saw that it was drenched in blood and cringed. He looked back down at his son to see him checking out his torn up clothes. "Gees…and maybe you should take a Senzu bean too, son. Here, I have my bag with me…"

"Don't worry about it dad," Gohan said. "I've got my own bag." Reaching into the brown, pouch-bag at his side, he pulled out one of the green beans rolling around in it and ate it. Tying the bag up, he turned back to chewing the bean and swallowed it. Here, he waited. Seconds later, he felt sweet relief flood into him when the effects of the bean took place. His wounds cleared up and all torn muscles, broken bones and bruises were healed. His blood soaked body also cleaned itself up, the blood solidifying and disappearing. This left him with just his clothes torn and damaged.

After he was fixed up, the gang approached him and they were all thrown into an uproar of congratulations and comments towards the Saiyan child. Gohan was happy to respond to the exclamations after his near death experience, whereas Vegeta just hung back, arms crossed and looking annoyed as usual. Piccolo walked up to his former student and laid a hand on his shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze while smiling down at him. Gohan smiled in return, nodding his head towards the Namekian.

"Hey Piccolo," Gohan exclaimed happily.

"You did well Gohan. Don't worry," his teacher said. "We'll get them eventually." The young Saiyan chuckled.

"Better you then me Piccolo," Gohan replied. "I may need to think this over a bit…the situation has altered a bit out of my taste." The Namekian nodded in understanding.

"I see…well," he began, backing away. "I have to get going now. Something just…came up. I'll see you later kid," the green fighter said. Before Gohan could ask where he was going, the Namek shot skywards and took off towards a new destination. The Z-fighters watched Piccolo fly off, asking themselves why he had taken flight so suddenly.

Having stood around long enough, as well as losing patience, Vegeta took off, heading back to Capsule Corp. Trunks, being the concerned son he was, took off after his father to make sure he would be alright (and didn't try anything stupid). Krillin, knowing that the problem on their hands had escalated beyond their control for the Z-fighters to be separated, invited the group over to Kame House. Tien and Yamcha agreed to this and the three of them headed off for the South East. Goku and Gohan watched their friends disappear into the distance before turning to each other. Goku nodded to his son with a grin.

"You'll have to teach me some of your tricks son. I think your old man's losing his touch," the spiky haired Saiyan exclaimed. Gohan chuckled and grabbed his father's shoulder.

"Well, one trick I can teach you that will certainly come in handy is this!" Gohan exclaimed. "Hold your breath dad, it's experimental," the young Saiyan said. Goku raised an eyebrow.

"Wha…" before he could finish, the two suddenly flickered and disappeared, vanishing in a flash of light. They left, leaving the city in its damaged state.

* * *

_**Kame House**_

Master Roshi let out a startled yell when two figures suddenly appeared in front of him. Materializing out of thing air, the forms of Goku and Gohan solidified right before his very eyes, Gohan's hand clasped on his father's shoulder and his warrior like smile in play. Goku was looking down at him, apparently in mid-speech.

"…t do you mean by experimental?" the older Saiyan asked. Gohan released his hand from his shoulder and looked himself over. When he was sure everything was there and in the correct places, he looked back up at his father with a smile.

"I didn't have time to test it, since it's quite new. It's also the reason why I was late to the fight. I lost track of time and tried to get to you guys as fast as possible. This gave me the idea of this technique, only the method was hard to order correctly. Well…I guess it's a complete success so far," the Saiyan child exclaimed. Goku blinked a few times in puzzlement before looking around. His eyes widened when he saw that they were already on Kame House Island. He looked from left to right, his eyes shifting over the horizon and taking in the various other islands around them. This was a real eye opener. Gohan dusted himself down, noticing the state his clothes were in. He easily fixed it by balling his fists and sending his energy into his clothes. The damaged articles flickered, his bare form exposed several times; except for the fact that his blue, tight spandex shorts (underwear), sword and bag of Senzu beans remained on his person at all times during the process. A split second later, a new set of his gi appeared over him, brand spanking new and fitting perfectly.

Checking himself out, he looked back up at his father. By this time, the older Saiyan had already absorbed his surroundings and had turned to him. His expression was a mixture between shock and surprise. "H-How did we get here so quickly?" Goku asked. "Super speed?" Gohan shrugged.

"Vaguely similar," Gohan replied. "I just call it teleportation, the ability to cover long distances in a short amount of time. It's quite a good use of transportation that reaches a level beyond hyper speed travel. I just simply bonded psychic and ki energies together, broke down my form and transported myself in the form of particles or light. Anything or anyone attached are transported too, since the required energy expands and contracts continuously. By traveling as a mass of light, you can really get to places…"

Goku seemed to understand what his son was saying, and so nodded affirmatively before turning to stare ahead of him. He blinked in surprise when he saw Master Roshi lying flat on his back, his legs draped over his deck chair. Apparently, their appearance had scared him so much that he practically fell over and off of his seat. Goku smiled and waved to the old timer.

"Hey there Master Roshi!" he exclaimed happily. "How are you this morning?"

The sunglasses wearing turtle hermit waved back while getting up. He pushed his seat back into position, corrected the position of his umbrella and pulled up his magazines from under the table. "F-Fine. I'm just fine Goku," he replied, nervously, adjusting his glasses. "Man…that was some fright you gave me there. So what's the news? Did you defeat the androids yet?" Goku chuckled and rubbed the back of his head, just as Gohan walked over to where the ocean met the sand, crouching down and placing his hand into the water.

"Well uhh…we didn't actually beat them, just chased them off. Gohan was the only one who was a real match for them," the spiky haired Saiyan stated, thumbing over towards the young Saiyan, who stood up and unbelted his sword. "He seemed to get through to one of them and seriously damaged a second one. The other two came out really bruised up, but managed to carry them and their friends out of there. Dr. Gero and his other Saibamen minions however are beat. I don't think we'll be seeing more of them anytime soon…"

Master Roshi nodded affirmatively, lying back down on his chair and resting back with a sigh of relief. "That's certainly good to know Goku. So why didn't you go after them?" The older Saiyan shrugged.

"You see that's the thing. Gohan was knocked out during the fight, allowing them an opportunity to slip away from us. Besides, I don't think we would have been able to stop them anyway, even though Gohan had damaged them. Vegeta, Trunks and I received quite a beating ourselves. Even when we were at our strongest we didn't stand a chance against them," the father said. Master Roshi nodded in understanding.

"I see. Well, I'm sure we'll find them soon enough. They're more then likely to come back after you if their intentions of killing you are that serious," the turtle hermit stated, glancing over at the former hero of earth. Goku nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." When he realized that his son was absent during their talk with Master Roshi, he turned around towards him. He was quite surprised when he saw the young Saiyan undressing, folding up his gi and placing his shoes by the pile with his sword on top of it. He set the clothes underneath one of the palm trees on the island, making sure it was far from the water line. Seeing him stretch out his arms, his father turned to him and placed his hands on his hips, puzzled. He could see the battle scars Gohan wore over his back, making him think how much conflict his son had been through.

"Um…Gohan," Goku began. "What are you doing, son?" the Saiyan father asked. Gohan glanced over his shoulder and smiled happily. Wearing only his tight, blue shorts and crystal pendant, he stepped into the warm water, marveling at its feel of it lapping against his ankles and feet.

"Going for a swim," he plainly replied. "I'm feeling a bit tense. Just need to loosen some muscles. I'll be back soon…" With that, the Saiyan child leapt high and far through the air. Spinning, he took a dive straight into the ocean. His dive was perfect none to say the least, no splash whatsoever. Goku just shrugged, turning away. The boy deserved the break anyway.

A lot of the time was spent at Kame House. Goku spent an hour outside, talking with Master Roshi and giving descriptions on the androids they had faced. The turtle hermit listened intently, trying to find a solution to their problem. Unfortunately, the information he was given so far didn't give him any hints or clues in which he could use to better efficiency. The two of them sat side by side, Goku on the sand with Master Roshi on his deck chair. Turtle, Puar, Oolong and Chouzu happened to be at the house as well, and joined Goku outside, who repeated the story of the battle with the androids. They were given the down low of everything, and were feeling very nervous after the news was given to them. Soon enough, the group was joined by Tien and Yamcha, both of them surprised to see Goku here. They asked how he got here so fast. To which he merely replied Gohan brought him here. Some more time later, Bulma Briefs arrived at Kame House in her yellow, cargo transport jet, the latest of all her models. She brought with her: her husband Vegeta, Mirai Trunks (who she earlier found out was her son from the future), Chi-Chi, and her new born son Trunks, from this timeline. Everyone congratulated her for her newborn.

Chi-Chi was relieved to see her husband still alive and well. But then another question came to her mind, 'Where is Gohan?" No one on the island had to answer that when Gohan suddenly jumped out of the water, carrying with him a massive fish. Everyone happened to be outside at the time and was shocked when the young Saiyan dragged the massive beast ashore. It looked like a baby orca when it only was an overgrown salmon. He also carried with him a small brown bag of diamonds. The others questioned where he found those. Gohan said he found a sunken pirate ship under water, yay around the eighteenth century just a few miles off of the island's coast to the East. He gave the bag to his mother, saying that she could use it to buy more food or anything else she so desired. Like she always said, 'family comes first'. Bulma reminded herself to go in search for it afterwards, same as Krillin and Yamcha. When he returned to shore, he set the fish aside and redressed. Afterwards, the entire gang minus Vegeta, Trunks and Gohan went inside. The Saiyan child said he would join them later.

Leaning against the tree with his arms crossed, Vegeta glanced over at Gohan and nodded to him. The young Saiyan was leaning against the side of the house, his arms also crossed. Mirai Trunks was standing at the triangle apex, hands on his hips and was looking out onto the ocean. His clothes, once torn and damaged, were now repaired thanks to Bulma having a spare set of similar clothes lying around. He didn't have his sword with him this time, thanks to it being destroyed. It seemed that everyone had recovered from their battles, and was looking as good as new.

A moment of silence was had before Vegeta began to speak. "So what happened back on that island, Kakabrat?" Vegeta asked. Gohan just stared at him, silent and eyes flickering. The Saiyan Prince thought nothing of his expression and just continued. "Why did you really let them go?"

Gohan looked away, Mirai having turned his attention to them as well. He was currently looking at the Saiyan child, wanting to hear the answer to his father's question. The young Saiyan sighed, shaking his head. "All my life…I trained myself in the ways and arts of fighting. At the same time, I became battle hardened and strong, inside and out. My understanding of fighting grew and grew, until I reached absolution with it. Through this, I taught myself not to kill anyone _unless_ absolutely necessary. Even when I was forced too, I would always consider it before taking action."

Vegeta furrowed his brow at him. "Even for Frieza…the androids…me," he said, the last bit loud. "I don't fully understand. What makes a fighter like you take such things into consideration?"

"Your life is out on the line, and you choose to spare the person who has caused so much suffering," Mirai spoke up, also wanting to add his own line of sights into this. "In my time, you failed to teach me several of the aspects in which you went by throughout your whole life. Even after this person…this fiend…has killed a friend; you still allow that one to live. Why?"

Gohan turned to them, eyes hardened. "Because it's my choice," the young Saiyan clearly stated. "I live with the belief that that one person can change… the one I decided to spare. It's my choice to allow that one person to live. Forgiveness…that's what it's called. Second chances only come around once, and I give only one second chance…only one to that person. If he or she seeks revenge, then I have no other options left…I do what needs to be done."

Mirai Trunks nodded in understanding, turning to his father to see him nod as well. Vegeta continued to stare at him, taking in everything that had been said. When Gohan saw that the Prince of Saiyans was still battling with his mind, the spiky haired child smiled and lowered his head towards him.

"You're not weak if you allow someone to live," Gohan said. "For that one good favor you do that person, it can make you stronger then ever. It's just a risk I was willing to take with you Vegeta…and Frieza, and the androids…"

Vegeta smirked and looked away, closing his eyes. Trunks looked between the two of them, seeing them both smirking. Though he refused to believe it, but the two almost looked exactly alike with those attitudes, as if they were brothers. However, there were major differences with them on the inside. For one, Vegeta was arrogant and had a strong pride, whereas Gohan was wise and innocent at the same time. Mirai's father chuckled and then opened his eyes, staring off into the distance.

"Sometimes I think you're making me soft, brat," the flame haired Saiyan said.

Gohan laughed. "Well, I have that sort of effect on people," he replied, amusement edged in his voice. Vegeta just smiled at him one last time before heading off inside. Mirai followed him, but stopped for a moment and turned to Gohan. The Saiyan child continued to stand there, leaning against the wall and staring off onto the horizon, now that Vegeta had cut off conversation. When Vegeta stepped inside, Trunks turned to Gohan, hands in his pockets and a smile on his face.

"You know what, Gohan," Mirai began, showing a hint of happiness in his voice. "You really did have the same effect on me. Heh…even when you were really sick, you always showed kindness and happiness, no matter what. And you never ceased to amaze me with all the things you taught me…"

The young Saiyan smiled over at Mirai, eyes wavering. "That means a lot to me Trunks. Thanks…"

With a final nod, Mirai headed on inside, disappearing into the pink, wooden structure. After seeing the grey-purple haired, half Saiyan disappear, Gohan walked off the wall and headed down to the water line. He stopped just short of the ocean, his feet grinding into the sand. Taking a deep breath of air, he gazed out onto the horizon, listening to the wave's crash around him and the seagull's crow above him. At this point, he couldn't even be bothered thinking about the androids. Times of absolute peace like this just made him feel so relaxed.

After a minute or so of standing out on the waters edge, he suddenly picked up a tinge on the wind. This twinge hit him like a bolt of lightning, his eyes narrowing and turning a bit to the right in a North Westerly direction. What he felt, hundreds of kilometers away, was something that made his senses go haywire. He turned a bit more eyes widening and a bead of sweat running down the side of his head. Whatever it was he was felling, it was growing, getting stronger. Suddenly, as it all unfolded before him, he felt two ki levels lock together, levels jumping high, lowering and then jumping again. It was static, coming in and out of focus. However, Gohan was able to sense it all, and it came at him clear as day. One of those ki levels he felt belonged to Piccolo, only this time, it was far higher then what he counted before. The second ki, though he refused to believe, was a mixture of so many other signatures. He could swear he could sense ten Frieza's in the same place, as well as Cooler, Goku, Vegeta and Trunks.

Furrowing his brow, he glanced back towards Kame House, hearing the laughter of Chi-Chi and Krillin erupt, followed by a yell of surprise from Goku. It was then when everybody else laughed out loud, except for Vegeta. If he didn't know any better, his father had eaten something spicy…extra spicy. Plus all the familiar ki's of his friends he felt in the distance was coming from the house behind him. Plus, all the villain ki's he felt were nonexistent. In other words, Cooler, Frieza and King Cold were dead. So, if his friends were here and all the main villains were dead, then who the hell was radiating that mixture of energy signals. He couldn't explain it. If he wanted to discover who it was that was emitting that ki, he would have to go and check it out.

Calculating the distance between him and the ki source, he saw that it was only a short distance away. So, with an affirmative nod, he powered up and took off without another word. Passing on the message of his departure to his friends wasn't necessary. He had more pressing matters to tend too. Along the way, as he was flying close to bird level altitude, he went on contemplating his confused thoughts. The thought of Cooler, Frieza and King Cold, as well as other villains from the past still alive was just totally messed up. No ki level could emit a ki because they had none, it was a physical aspect. Plus the spirit would only emit a small life force, because the boundaries between this world and the spirit world would usually come close but never cross each other's paths. The barrier between the worlds was strong, not even the magic from Shenron could breach it. These two parallel worlds could only be accessed through one other mean, which he kept to himself. Back to the subject at hand, Gohan strongly believed that the villains he had fought in the past were all dead. It was a mixed ki anyway, but that didn't make him feel any different. It made the situation worse. No person or being on this planet could produce such a ki signature.

After a minute or so, he finally reached his destination. Upon his arrival, he was shocked at what he found. Below him, amongst a cluster of hillsides and valleys was the remains of a bombed out city. Well, at least that's what it looked like. The damage caused here was fresh, the pillars of smoke and various craters, including one big one smack bang in the centre gave evidence. Clearly this was the work of Piccolo and the other ki signature he felt. It was incredible. He hardly believed that the two of them could cause such damage in such a short amount of time. Also at this distance, Piccolo's ki had shot through the roof, with the other, mixed ki matching it barely. Obviously, a lot of changes have been made since Piccolo had left early, and Gohan had a hunch he knew what had happened.

After remaining distant above the scene for a moment, he began to descend, heading directly for Piccolo's ki signature. Within seconds, he spotted the Namek, who happened to be glaring up at a pillar of rubble, the remains of a destroyed office building. When the young Saiyan looked up at the rubble, he saw, standing on top of it, a giant bug creature. It was glaring up at him, dropped in a rather awkward stance of preparation. Shockingly enough, the mixed ki signatures Gohan sensed was radiating off of that beast. Well, it was understandable. The thing was practically a mutant-monster of some sort. What else did you expect? Anyway, furrowing his brow, Gohan dove down and landed beside Piccolo, the Namekian still glaring up at the bug with gritted teeth.

"Hey Piccolo," Gohan said, announcing his presence. Piccolo merely nodded, his eyes not tearing away from the creature standing on the rubble and glaring down at them.

"Hey Gohan. I figured you'd show up," he replied. Knowing he wasn't going to get nothing else out of his friend, Gohan looked up at the creature standing a top of the rubble. The time here gave him the brief moment of observation to get a visual description of what Piccolo was up against.

He was right the first time; it was a giant bug creature of some sort. It stood to about Cooler's height when he was in final form, and had a bit of a hunched back. Though, it was clear it wasn't standing up to full height. It had long limbs and a small, main thorax body, and its head was very inhuman, with its cranium and main crown moving upwards and outwards in a thick 'V' shape. It had eyes like a snake, no nose and an orange exo-mask for a mouth. Its primary color is dark green, but in some places such as the toes, fingers, sides, neck and face, it was light green. All over it, it was covered in black spots and blotches, with its exo-skeleton like skin resembling armor. It had orange sides, a black torso plate and a dark green tail, also sporting black spots with a light brown, needle on the end. It looked sharp and quite deadly. Like Frieza and Cooler, it had three toed feet, but had regular hands. All in all, the beast, though as humanoid shaped it was, was beyond that of human facial complexion.

Gohan blinked, his eyes fixated on the creature as he asked his mentor this simple question. "Who or what is that thing?" Gohan asked. Piccolo flinched, eyes twitching as he glared up at the creature, which seemed to take a step back.

"Something bad," the Namekian replied. Gohan nodded, not needing to be told twice of their situation.

"I see," the young Saiyan replied. "Sure is ugly though. Is it a threat?" he asked.

"Minor for you, moderate for me and high for the others," Piccolo answered again. "Look, can we save the questions for later. He's quick, so don't slip up…"

The creature gave a low, murmuring growl, its teeth bearing and hands fisting. He looked between the two fighters, taking note of their combined ki signatures. When he did, and calculated his chances of survival, he glowered and crouched low, wings expanding. It took sort of a powering up stance, its ki shooting up.

"You just wait," the creature hissed in a croaky, very rough voice. "When I get Androids 17# and 18#, you're all finished. Until then I won't let any of you stand in my way!" he roared. In a flash, the beast threw back its right hand, fisting it. Suddenly, blue beams of light shot out from the spaces made by his fingers, the glow easily recognized by Gohan. With a gasp of shock, he grabbed Piccolo and pulled him up. Just as Gohan took flight with Piccolo in tow, the creature chucked the attack forward, the light breaking up into shards that flew straight for the ground. On impact, it lit up like napalm, a series of incredible explosions occurring and leaving nothing but scorched earth. The flames shot up high, nearly grazing the two fighters who had managed to pull out before the flames could hit them. When they looked back, they found that the creature was no longer there, but escaping into the woods and disappearing into the mists. With its ki masked, they no longer had it in any of their sights.

Looking down at the valley of flames that had stretched to over a 100 meters length, 25 meters wide and reached 50 meters in height (the fire), Piccolo sighed in relief and looked back at Gohan, who had released his arm and they were both floating on their own accord.

"Thanks kid, I owe you one," Piccolo said. "Boy I tell you, even at my strength the guy had me beat…the moves he could pull off…wow…"

Gohan nodded. "No sweat Piccolo," he replied. "So do you mind telling me what the hell that was?" he asked, furrowing his brow and glaring down at the burning ground. "If I'm not mistaken, that was my attack, and no being, no matter what power level or ki manipulative skills they posses, can harness the power to control spirit fire. Only I can, or fire demons for that matter…"

Piccolo nodded, the two of them continuing to float in their places and stare down at the 'close to hell', burning far below them. "Alright. That thing you just saw was an android named Cell: a biological abomination created by that fiend Dr. Gero," Piccolo replied. Gohan raised an eyebrow at Piccolo, blinking.

"He created another android?" the young Saiyan questioned in surprise. Piccolo nodded.

"Yeah," Piccolo replied before continuing. "The reason we didn't know about him is because it was a secret project, an illusive creation of the doctor's own design. Even more shockingly is that he was from the future, and not from this time. And before you start asking more questions, it didn't come from Mirai's time line, a different one. Apparently, Trunks' time traveling abilities allows him to flip through all sorts of alternate zones, including this one. Cell, the one I was fighting just now, killed Trunks in that time line and used the time machine to get to this time. That Trunks was coming back to tell us he had killed the androids in his time, but unfortunately met a grim fate," Piccolo explained. "I hope you're following me on this…" Gohan nodded in response.

"Yeah, I follow you. So what are his intentions? To kill my father…dominate the world…what?"

Piccolo furrowed his brow, resurfacing every detail of what was told to him not too long ago. "Basically it's his lifeline that follows. He is currently in search for Androids 17# and 18#. He plans on absorbing them, incorporating their essence and energy into his being to attain what he calls his perfect form, completing his evolution. Along the way, he will absorb the people of this planet, getting stronger off of their energy, and will stop at nothing till he finds the androids. I fear he will become even stronger then we can imagine if we allow him to absorb the androids," Piccolo stated. Gohan shivered at the thought of absorption, and just stared ahead of him in the direction the creature went.

"Okay, so that answers a couple of things. I'm already shaking in my boots. What I don't understand is how he was able to use my attacks…and how come I felt Frieza, Cooler, King Cold, you and the others coming off of him?" he asked. Piccolo hardened his stare into the distance.

"It appears Dr. Gero has been a busy little man. Years prior to this moment he built mosquito sized robots to fly around, record our incurring fights and collect samples of our blood etc. By doing this, he was able to fuse our cells together, enhance them, and create the ultimate killing machine…that bug like creature," Piccolo said with distaste in his voice. "Dr. Gero has been at it for years. The last being he was able to take data off of was Cooler, the alien you faced a while ago. And so, since Cell is made up of all our DNA strands and possesses significant knowledge of us, he is able to perform our attacks, as well as some of yours, Gohan," Piccolo finished. The young Saiyan nodded affirmatively.

"I see. Well…that's a sure disappointment," the young Saiyan replied. Piccolo nodded. After a moment of floating in the same airspace, Gohan glanced over at his mentor and raised an eyebrow. Yet there was another question he wanted to ask. "I see that there have been a few changes while I was gone. I take it you've rejoined with Kami…"

Piccolo looked down and glowered at himself. "Yeah. I figured that we needed some extra help to fight the androids, so I went up to the Lookout to settle a few scores. After so many years of watching over the planet, the old man didn't want to leave just yet. It took a while, but we eventually fused. He passed on the tasks of Guardian of Earth to Dende, so now that puts him in the old man's shoes. After which, because of Kami's inexistence, the dragon balls' power expired. But Dende fixed that problem up and created a new Shenron, one who can grant three wishes and bring back one person who has died, as many times, even if that person dies twice. It's much better then the previous Shenron, huh?"

Gohan nodded with a smile. "Yeah, that's great…and good for Dende too. I've got to go up there and congratulate him. That's got to be some promotion…" Piccolo couldn't help but chuckle at that. But then he glanced down at himself and sighed.

"It feels strange to have Kami back in my body. Unfortunately now I'm stuck with the old man wherever I go," the Namekian said. Gohan chuckled.

"Well, look on the bright side," he exclaimed. "Now you're made up of three people…you, Nail and Kami."

"Ha, ha, ha, very funny," his friend said sarcastically. "But that doesn't change the fact that I am still Piccolo. I still have the personality and qualities everyone loves about me. So don't you forget it!" Gohan nodded affirmatively, yet he couldn't help smile.

"That shouldn't be a problem," the young Saiyan replied. "So what now? Do we tell the others about this new, unfortunate turn of events?"

His Namekian friend nodded affirmatively. "We'd better. If they don't have this information, then we're going to have a huge problem on our hands…"

With that settled the two of them turned around, powered up, and flew back to Kame House where everyone was sure to be waiting for them.

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	23. The Monster is Coming

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_The Monster is Coming_

As soon as Piccolo and Gohan returned to Kame House, they were met with a very concerned group of Z-fighters. Goku, Krillin, Trunks, Yamcha and Tien were all questioning about the strange power level they had picked up in the distance, and how come Piccolo was so much stronger then before. Vegeta was also puzzled about the Namekian's strength increase, yet didn't bother to ask and just listened in. But then, when he heard that the green warrior was stronger than he was, he was pissed. Now outclassed by Gohan, Piccolo and Goku, he had a greater determination to get stronger. Chi-Chi one the other hand, did not concern herself much with the problems the fighters were having, for she was more worried about Gohan's well being. She also asked why he didn't make notice of his departure. The young Saiyan eased her worrying by saying he was fine, which was the best response he could come up with that worked. His mother was easily put at ease. But what Gohan and Piccolo had to share with the group seemed to make the situation a whole lot worse.

Telling them about Cell was difficult, and when they said he came from another future made Mirai Trunks feel very uneasy. If this new character was as strong as Piccolo said and was as determined as he explained, then that means that there problems just got bigger. Not only did they have the other androids to deal with but an insect freak on the hunt for them, and energy to get stronger. However, there was yet another problem.

"If Cell came from another future time zone and Dr. Gero really intended to make him his primary creation, and the old man's dead in this time as well as the next, then that means that his lab is still housing the infant Cell in this time!" Bulma said. Krillin, as well as everyone else had to agree with her on this.

"Yeah. So we have one Cell on the loose while there is a second one brewing in a watery tube somewhere on this planet. That's just great!" the monk shouted. Goku, whose arms were crossed, nodded and glanced over at his son and Piccolo standing side by side on the edge of the gathering inside the house.

"We'll have to plan this out guys, step by step. If we have any chance of beating these androids, then there is only one place we can go for proper training…"

Piccolo grunted and just glared ahead of him. "So…it's back to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. If I remember correctly, you couldn't even last one year in there," the Namekian exclaimed. Gohan nodded in agreement, closing his eyes.

"It's a risk. But the conditions, atmosphere and gravity in that dimension should be enough to satisfy our needs for the time being," Gohan continued. Mirai blinked in confusion and looked in the direction of Goku.

"Uhh…what exactly is the Hyperbolic Time Chamber?" Mirai asked. Goku smiled at him, a fighter's expression coming into play.

"It's a room up on Kami's Lookout that allows you to get all the training you need in there for a year while only one day has passed here on earth. The depths of it changes in gravity, temperature, atmosphere and climate, allowing you a wide variety of training types. It's hard to endure at some points, but trust me; one whole year in there can make it all worth while. The catch is that only two people can go in at a time," the Saiyan exclaimed with a smile. Vegeta smirked.

"Well, that'll sure come in handy," the prince commented, ignoring the pairing part. "I could have used it ages ago. By now I would be stronger then all you bakas. It would have only taken me three years in there to exceed all of you, even you Kakabrat!" Vegeta stated. Piccolo glared at him, brow furrowing.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you Vegeta, but you can only go in their twice in your lifetime, one year per visit. Any more and the dimension seals you up in it forever," the Namekian explained. "Be thankful that I told you that…"

The Saiyans and the Z-fighters who participated in the battles looked around at each other, finding themselves in a very simple situation. All that remained to be solved was the order the pairs had to go in into the room. Goku stepped forward and into the group, everyone's eyes set firmly on him once more.

"Alright guys. Here's what I have in mind. Gohan, Trunks, Vegeta and I will be using the Hyperbolic Time Chamber; and Piccolo if he wants to. While we're up on Kami's Lookout, the rest of you guys are going to have to deal with the androids and Cell. Krillin…Yamcha…" Goku said, turning to his two, long time friends sitting on the couch in the middle of the room. "You two will have to find Dr. Gero's lab and eliminate the Cell in this time while it's still in its infancy state. After that, you two, Tien and Piccolo will go on a search for the original Cell, hunt him down and destroy him if possible. With the four of you combined, you should be able to bring him down, seeing as that Piccolo is second strongest out of all of us…"

Piccolo cleared his throat, drawing attention to him. "Excuse me for interrupting, but I thought I'll be up on the Lookout with you guys in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber…" Goku chuckled and rubbed the back of his head while Gohan looked away and shook his head, closing his eyes.

"Well…you see, knowing Vegeta," the Saiyan exclaimed, emphasizing the Prince of Saiyans leaning against the wall at the edge of the group. "He would want to go in first. And if that's the case, he'll need to take Trunks with him. I'll take Gohan with me after they're done in there, and you can join us when it's our turn. Because Gohan likes training on his own most of the time, and for a fact that's he's too strong for me to keep up with him, I'm gonna need a suitable, long term training partner." Piccolo, seeing this plan, nodded in understanding.

"That's a good plan Goku. It should give me some time to hunt for Cell. But if I come across Android 17#, 18# and the others, then I'll have to deal with one of them in order to stop Cell from absorbing them and reaching his final form. He has no reason absorbing an already damaged one, as well as an emotionally unstable one," Piccolo stated, making a point towards 16# and 18b.

Krillin laughed nervously and walked forward, raising his hand as if wanting to make a statement. "Um…Piccolo, do you think…uhh…do you think you can take out 17# and…and not 18# … please?"

Everyone went silent and looked at the monk in surprise. Even Vegeta, Piccolo and Gohan had confused looks on their faces and were staring at their comrade. Krillin twiddled his fingers together and looked down, a rosy blush on his face. "Well uhh…you see…I kinda have a thing for her…you know…ever since I…well…ha-ha…saw her."

The awkward silence dawned on for a little while longer, everyone still staring at the monk. When the facts finally began to settle on the group like a cloud of dust, Chi-Chi and Bulma, the two ladies of the gang, began to stifle giggles and glanced at each other.

Gohan also got the joke. With a smile, he glanced up at Piccolo, nodding to him. "Make note of that, Piccolo: 'Don't destroy Android 18#'. We wouldn't want to destroy Krillin's hopes and dreams for a family in the future," the young Saiyan said, rather too loudly for Krillin's taste who nearly fell over in shock. The Namekian trainer, also sharing a smile, nodded and glanced up towards the ceiling, closing his eyes.

"Deal. While I'm at it, I'll ask whether she has a thing for a certain small Z-fighter that has had girl friend issues ever since he was 20," Piccolo replied amusingly. Goku, Yamcha, Tien, Chouzu, Bulma, Chi-Chi and all those who could get a joke, burst out laughing. Vegeta just glared ahead of him, finding no amusement from that type of joke.

Gohan turned to the group, a determined, serious expression now in play. Now that all the humor has been vanquished, he could freely make a new announcement. "Well, we should get going now. Dad…you can take Vegeta and Mirai up to the Lookout. I'll join you in a couple of hours, till then I'll help hunt for Cell," the young Saiyan stated. Goku nodded in understanding. He turned round to the other two Saiyans close by, watching him.

"Alright you two, come on. We've got a long journey ahead of us," the older Saiyan stated. With affirmative nods from both Vegeta and Mirai, Goku led them outside. The three of them took off soon after, the Saiyan Prince and his son following Goku, all on route for the Lookout. This left Kame House with Gohan, Piccolo and the rest of the squad. Turning on the news, Master Roshi began searching for any signs of Cell or the androids. If he was lucky, he would stumble upon a scene where they could catch a glimpse of the creature from the future and hone in on him before he had a chance to get away. Bulma, offering her help, gave Krillin the coordinates to Dr. Gero's lab. The monk was grateful for her help.

With their plans set in motion, Krillin led his team out of the house. "Come on Yamcha. It's hunting season!" the monk exclaimed. Tien and the said baseballer followed their friend out, where they took off soon after. Piccolo was in quick step with them, and shot off into the skies after the trio. Before Gohan could leave, he stopped and turned around to the others. His mother walked over to him, a smile on her face. She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek, taking him by the shoulders and giving him a reassuring squeeze.

"You be careful out there, you hear me Gohan?" she said. "I don't want you to do anything stupid, like getting yourself killed." Her son grinned and nodded firmly.

"I'll be alright mom. I always am," Gohan replied. Chi-Chi smiled and shook him in affirmation.

"Then go get him son!"

"And good luck to you, kid. We're all counting on you!" Bulma added from the couch. Gohan grinned and saluted.

"Thanks guys!"

With that, the young Saiyan was off. Powering up when he got outside, he shot skywards and headed in a different direction to everyone else. Being sort of a lone wolf on the hunt, it was understandable for him to go out on his own. He would first start from the city Piccolo had faced Cell, and track him from there by honing in on the nearest town. But after first confrontations with the Z-fighters, Cell would have to stray further in order to lose his pursuers. So from here on in, the hunt for Cell is on.

* * *

_**Somewhere near North City…**_

A small town lay in the very centre of a wide range of valleys and hillsides. Its advancement was measured up by the technology the people of the large town used. Because of its size, in both scale and population wise, it could even be classified as a small city. The surrounding areas were where the farmers and workers could go and tend to the crops, resources for which they could use. Refineries for the town lay deep within its industrial district and ran the entire area like clockwork, supplying power, water etc. The entertainment districts were packed as usual and all those other areas where people's homes were remained silent and peaceful…

With good reason

A disturbance has reached this small city, as if the black plague was put back in motion again. If you would like to compare a certain android's raid to the very disease that killed millions, then Cell's Plague is the perfect definition for this very situation. Just like a breeze, Cell's accursed hand swept over the people of this colony, leaving his mark of empty clothes lying scattered around the streets and a deathly silence. It was cold, very cold; the kind of feeling you get when you're alone in a deserted area and something is watching you. There were surprises around every corner, with a sure possibility that you would run into the very being that was the cause of this town's disappearance of its population.

Sucking the last of the essence out of his final victim, the t-shirt and jeans of the person lying forgotten on a side walk, the diabolical Cell retracted its tail so that it swung casually behind him. Overly satisfied at the small energy increase, the android let out a sigh of relief and carried on his regular business. With a chuckle, the green, bug-like creature crossed his arms and stared off into the distance, watching the heat radiate off of the empty roads before him. He could sense that the entire town was deserted now, and that not a single soul was breathing. That was understandable. Everything was settled, his mission through this town done only in a few short minutes. The only remains of the people that were his prey and now victims were their clothes blowing about in the winds and scattering everywhere. If you were to look closely, you could see a single hole punched into one article of clothing, a spear tip strike, indicating the android's way of absorption. Now that this town has been completely wasted, his presence here was notified.

The android laughed again, taking in a deep, rough breath intake and shaking his head. "These juicy mortals are a sure fine meal. I'm going to enjoy the next course…and the next!" he exclaimed, cackling evilly. "My power is growing with every life form I drain of essence. This is too easy! And when I'm done here, the refreshing desserts of 17# and 18# are next! After that, I'll finally achieve perfection…"

With one last, spine chilling laugh, Cell's shadow left the town. Like a ghost, he silently swept over the land, heading for the next civilization ways from this one. If he wasn't mistaken, the town was only 15 miles away. He was an expert at this after all…too no surprise.

Someone will have to stop him sooner or later…

* * *

_**Miles away…**_

_**To the South East, Main Land**_

At this point, everyone was wondering what had happened to the androids. Well, after the incident on the island South West of South City, Androids 16#, 17#, 18# and 18b had managed to fall back to a new position. Now on the run, the group of four had taken up residence in the middle of an open valley, under a large oak and taking shelter from the sun. They also used it as a hide away from the Z-fighters, who were sure to be searching for them. Their last encounter with a certain young Saiyan child had given them the reason to hide out. And for a fact that two of them were out of commission or out of fighting spirit, it gave them further reason to hide out. They weren't up for an intense battle now, or anything else for that matter.

Android 16# was sat up against the oak, back to the wood with squirrels and birds resting a top of him. He was smiling while twiddling with them quietly, finding the beauty of nature and peacefulness of the creature comforting. Android 18b sat beside him, her weapons belt empty of all but a couple of Shuriken stars. She was acting as quiet as 16#, right knee pulled up to her chest and arms limp at her sides. Although, she was playing with a squirrel using her right hand, with a couple of robins nestled on her left shoulder. She smiled kindly, scratching the squirrel on the head that wiggled its nose at her before scampering up her arm and onto her head. It curled up and slept, squeaking happily. 17# was standing on the very edge of the tree's cast shadow, arms crossed and glaring out over the open valleys. There were clusters of trees and cliff like hills and plateaus everywhere. He was tapping his foot impatiently, battle scars from the recent fight still imprinted all over him. His bottom lip was still bleeding as well. While he was standing, his sister, Android 18#, was sitting on a boulder with her chin in her hands. She stared, bored, into the distance. She was still in the same condition as before, with Android 16# still gravely damaged and 18b settling for peacefulness, all will to fight lost. They were all quiet, none of them in the mood for talking right now.

It was only after a few minutes more of silence till something perked up for them, Android 16#'s sensors suddenly kicking in. Even though a third of the circuits in his primary, onboard memory and tracking units were fried, his sensors, communicators, receivers and projectors still worked. Looking up, the giant android looked towards the North, his still working eye flickering with readouts and digits. Android 17# and 18# heard the beeping and turned to their friend, seeing him looking in some random direction, obviously tracking something.

"What is it, 16#," 18# asked, giving him the raised eyebrow.

After a moment or so, the android replied in his monotone, computerized voice. "I'm detecting a disturbance on the air. A town 1825 miles North of our position has completely vanished, all ki signatures of human population disappearing. A second city has disappeared off the map too, approximately 50 miles to its West. The population has vanished as well…"

18# and 17# stared at him for a moment longer after receiving this news before the black haired android approached him, hands on his hips. "What are you saying 16#, that someone or something is causing these towns or cities to lose the people in them?"

Android 16# looked down at his feet. His sensors were still up and working, bleeping continuously. "An illusive being is on the run. It is an unidentifiable ki signature…something I have never felt before. It's getting stronger with every town it visits. I have been tracking it for some time…"

18# snorted and looked away, hand propping her head. "And this is supposed to be our problem because…?" 17# face tightened into a scowl.

"It's not sis. Don't concern yourself with what problems the humans of this planet experience. They're nothing to us…you just remember that," the boy android replied. 18b looked up, rather sadly while still holding the squirrel on her head. It was impossible to take her seriously that way.

"But…we should. This is our home too you know…we can't keep abusing it…" she said softly. 17# grunted and looked at her, eyes narrowing.

"You can talk 18b? I'm surprised your circuits are still working, sis," the android commented, ignoring what she had said before. 18b looked back to the floor in front of her, seeing a couple of butterflies fluttering over the fields. The grass blew in a light breeze, gently lifting her hair.

"The people of this planet…they don't deserve such fates. This…our forms now…is our fate. I never wanted this…and neither did you…" Android 18# sighed and looked down as well, hearing her sisters words clear as day. After some time of enduring this new mood to the black haired android, it was hard not to listen what she had to say and comment on. She had been mumbling for ages now.

"Yeah…she's right…" the blonde whispered, knowing what she meant by their fates. The android bodies they were put down for having, all thanks to Dr. Gero. 17# scowled at all of them.

"You idiots! Can't you see, that boy has us licked! Now because of him, we can't go anywhere or do anything! Now we have to hide like animals! This is what we're reduced to!!" 17# shouted, referring to Gohan as the cause of their pains. Android 18b sighed, shaking her head. Android 16# and 18# just stayed quiet, like her, not bothering to reply. They knew that it wasn't right to blame someone else for their own mistakes. It was obvious they didn't want to fight anymore…

17# however was still putting up a stand. "And forget about the 'disappearing' cities. 16#'s senses are obviously busted. He's probably losing computer data streams or something. As for me, I've had it with all this hiding. When I find Gohan, I'm going to kill him myself! Till then, I want all of you to pull yourselves together so that we can get moving soon."

* * *

_**Elsewhere…**_

_**Up on Kami's Lookout…**_

When Goku, Vegeta and Trunks reached the Lookout, they were immediately greeted by Dende and Mr. Popo. It came as no surprise to them that the little Namek was now the Guardian of Earth, what with Kami's absence. But, not wanting to dwell on it for too long, they asked the two if they could use the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Dende agreed to this, as the problems on earth continued to grow more and more. He felt that these new villains had to be dealt with, and the only way to do that was to train and get stronger. The only problem however was time. It was short, and they needed all they could get. But with the plan the Z-fighters had cooked up, it should give them all the time they needed.

"Mr. Popo, can you please show our friends to the Time Chamber?" Dende asked of the genie like being, who had served Kami for so many years. Bowing, the turban wearing man walked the three Saiyans into the building on top of the floating platform.

"Please, right this way…"

The four of them journeyed through the interior of the floating palace. With Mr. Popo in the lead, followed by Goku and then Trunks, both of whom were looking very eager, and then followed by Vegeta, who looked less then enthusiastic as usual, they ventured down smooth, white hallways made of marble, passing all sorts of archways and entrances. The journey through the Lookout's insides was short, and soon enough, arriving around the back of the structure, the group came to a stop outside a basic, wooden door. This door was perhaps the most unique one out of all the doors in the Lookout, made of mahogany and gleaming as fresh as it was years ago. Thanks to Mr. Popo's cleaning, he made sure to tone the entire place from top to bottom.

Looking back towards the audience behind him, Mr. Popo gestures towards the door and smile. "Here we are…the entrance to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. You will find everything you need inside. There are two beds, and two bathrooms. A storage room has been set up to refill with supplies for the whole year you are inside. The expanses of the room go on for an eternity, so beware as you venture out. The further you go, the greater the gravity increases, and the greater the temperature and atmosphere alters. There are no patterns in the weather changes, so be careful. And do not venture out too far, for you may be lost out there for an eternity. I believe you have already organized yourselves into pairs?" Goku nodded affirmatively, turning to Vegeta and Trunks with a smile. The Prince of Saiyans scowled tightly.

"All we need are the essentials. But we didn't come here for a holiday, we came here to train," Vegeta growled. Mr. Popo took the prince's growls lightly, already knowing that he wasn't one for manners.

"Well, good luck guys. See you in 24 hours," the Saiyan exclaimed. Mirai smiled and nodded, his father brushing past him and heading towards the door.

"And we'll see you in a year, Goku," the grey haired teenager replied. With an exchange of nods, Mirai headed towards the door, following his father, while Goku stepped back.

Mr. Popo opened the door for them, revealing the brightness of the room deep within. Taking their leave, Vegeta and his son entered. Once they were both sucked into the chamber, the servant of Dende closed the door behind them, locking them inside until they would emerge when their time was up. Once the door was closed, Mr. Popo turned to Goku and smiled.

"Well, is there anything more I can do for you, Goku?" the black genie asked. The Saiyan chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.

"Uhh…actually, could I have something to eat, please? I haven't had anything since an hour ago!" he exclaimed. Suddenly, his stomach let out a large rumble, and he clasped his hands over his gut. He chuckled, grinning nervously. A blush streaked across his cheeks, brightening his face with embarrassment. Mr. Popo nodded, understanding the Saiyan's hunger problems.

"Of course Goku, right this way…"

* * *

_**Not too far from South City…**_

Another town has been victimized by the evil villain Cell. Not only was it sucked dry and deserted of all life, but a lot more damages had been made. A car had crashed into a semi-truck, with the truck holding a great deal of petrol. The fuel system ignited and the two vehicles, along with several other nearby transportation units and a office building lit up like wild fire through a oil field. This, added up by other damages made by crashing cars that were on the move, with the passengers and drivers ambushed by the illusive Cell, made things look even worse. Like he said, nothing was standing in his way. People had little time to call in the Army as they were all absorbed within seconds. Some street punks and law enforcement officers had made a stand too, but their weapons were useless against him. Everyone was wasted in an instant.

Searching the empty streets for their target, Piccolo, Tien, Yamcha and Krillin were overwhelmed with shock and sorrow as they looked upon the remains of Cell's victims. The group had previously found Dr. Gero's lab, thanks to Bulma's help, and destroyed it and everything in sight. All that remained of it was a smoking crater. With that first task completed, they were now on the hunt for the Cell on the loose. When they arrived to one of the cities to have been struck by the android, they couldn't believe what they saw. The clothes that were supposed to be covering human beings blew around them or lay in the streets and on sidewalks. The place was a barren, empty wasteland now, a ghost town. All that was missing was a tumble wheel. But a discarded newspaper was enough to settle the mood for the chilling silence that fell. Spreading themselves out, the Z-fighters widened their search. They extended their senses far, thoroughly looking the town over from top to bottom. Because Cell was masking his ki, they knew that they wouldn't be able to find him so easily. All they needed was a small sign, and that will be enough to lead them to the perpetrator. The android however, wasn't planning on giving himself up so easily.

Moving close to a school yard, Piccolo glanced over the wooden fence that surrounded the once blooming organization. When he saw the clothes of children lying around, the identifiable hole piercing in the backs of each one, the Namekian clenched his fists tightly and frowned sadly.

"_Not even the younglings survived…"_

Yamcha took a look in the cars, checking for any more survivors. His eyes scanned the compact vehicles from top to bottom, and under the backseats. But to his dismay, there was no one inside. He then moved to a Police vehicle across the road. Opening the driver's front door, the Shotgun usually pinned up to the side fell out, and the fighter leapt back in shock when it hit the ground and went off. He let out a yell and fell over, seeing a hat fall out afterwards. It wasn't the kind of thing he expected, but he was thankful it wasn't Cell.

He sighed, getting back up and dusting himself down. When he returned his eyes back to the scene, he found himself standing in the middle of the empty street, surrounded by clothes that once belonged to living people. Innocent people who didn't deserve this fate had been mercilessly taken in support of a new, all powerful fiend.

"T-This is terrible," Yamcha said to himself. "Everyone is gone…"

Krillin was moving onto another road, looking from side to side. He never missed an opportunity to scan for any hidden ki levels, but was stumped. Brought down by grief and horror at the sight before him, the monk just stopped in the middle of the road, looking down and shutting his eyes tightly. His hands fisted with anger as he tried to wipe his mind of what he was looking at. No one was here, and the thought of them being eaten by a monster like Cell made Krillin act in kind.

"Darn it…they didn't deserve this…they didn't…"

Tien had taken the liberty of searching from the skies, looking down upon the city, looking from left to right for Cell. But all in vein, he found no ki signature or any survivors from this plague. That monster had destroyed the entire town's population, incorporating everyone into him. Upon finding nothing whatsoever, not even a trace of human life, the tri-clops growled and landed on top of a building. He looked around him at the other rooftops, seeing if Cell was around and looking down upon them. That bug was as smart as he was untraceable. He could conceal himself anywhere, like a spider in a kid's bedroom. The fiend would always hide out until the right moment to strike. But because of Piccolo's superior strength at the moment and Gohan being not too far behind, Cell wouldn't make his appearance just yet.

"_I swear…that Cell is bugging for a beating!"_ Tien growled in his head, fisting his hands.

The party searched and searched, looking up and down. After an hour at least, they came up empty handed. There were no survivors and no Cell. He was no where to be seen. So, having failed in this search, the team gathered and hurried off to the next nearest town. If they didn't know any better, Cell would be one step ahead of them all the way.

* * *

_**Just North of East City…**_

An Army Barracks was stationed just a few clicks from the town, just 20 kilometers at least. It was a large facility: lots of space provided, a barbed wired fence surrounding it with conning towers, tents, buildings and hangars placed within it. It was a huge place, packed with all sorts of defensive weapons, such as tanks, ground to air missiles, anti-weaponry guns ranging from anti-aircraft to anti-personnel, aircraft, helicopters and halftracks. The mobility of troops here was able to cover a wide area, and provide defense for the people if needed. Barracks' like this were settled everywhere on the mainland and on islands, most of them belonging to the Royal Imperial Army under the command of General of the Army William Grant and the Commander in Chief, better known as the King. After the fall of the Red Ribbon Army, the barracks they previously owned were taken by the Republican Army and the Confederate Alliance. The Republican Army controlled the Far East Islands, patrolling the oceans with their powerful Navy. They had allegiance to the King, with its commanders acting as senators. Reasons so: because the King's Royal Army was vastly superior… in technology and manpower. The Confederate Alliance is basically just a mercenary army formed by all sorts of rebels, bounty hunters and scum alike. Even though they were referred to as the scum of the earth, they served anyone who paid them to do the job. They were neither good nor bad; they just sat in the line in between.

This army barracks was owned by the Royal Army, and was just a small detachment compared to the vast army the King really has. However, their strength was nothing compared to the might of the Saiyans…or Cell for that matter.

In a blink of an eye, as the troops were readying to respond to an emergency alarm that went off at the main control room, they were sucked away by the illusive creature. Cell let his hand out loose on the soldiers, absorbing them one by one. The anti-intruder squads attempted to quell his rampage with tanks and heavy weapons, but all in vein. Cell destroyed all their weapons and sucked them all up. Those who's resistance was too much of an annoyance to stop was repelled, with those soldiers getting killed in a flash of blinding light and an explosion. Their deaths were quick and painless. The others however suffered.

Inside the barracks there was also a small village. This series of houses and drive ways was the homestead for the soldiers and their families. Because the army here was unable to fight off Cell, this small town area was next to fall. The fight was carried here, the home security forces acting up quickly. But with 75 of the armed forces in this area already taken out, the rest of them were soon to follow. The families of those braver men who died at the hands of Cell were next, going out little by little till there was no one left. Cell finished his stop at the air hangars, absorbing everyone who attempted to escape in the aircraft or other vehicles. All within an hour, everyone was gone. Well…not everyone.

Having ran from the family resident area, an 18 year old girl and her younger, 8 year old brother, made a break for the hangar area on military soil. When they found that Cell was already raiding the area, they dashed for a supply craft instead. The three engine plane sitting out prepped and ready on the runway, and in plain sight. Carrying her younger brother, the girl ran as fast as she could, frightened. Her brown hair tied back in a pony tail waved as she ran. Her tight, blue jeans didn't help the matter as it prevented her from running at her best, but her white jumper didn't pose any problem. Looking back towards the hangar eyes wide and a very frightful look on her face, she suddenly saw Cell burst through the large, double-doors and come charging after her and her brother, the beast back on his rampage. He let out a menacing yell, sprinting at them.

Letting out a scream, the girl suddenly tripped and fell over, her brother falling out of her arms. The two of them hit the ground hard, whimpering in pain and, as soon as possible, getting back up. But the next time they looked back, Cell was right above them, floating in mid-air at least 5 stories up and glaring at them. Seeing his prey cower before him, the insect creature grinned evilly. Seizing this chance, he flew straight down at them at top speed, tail bared and pointed directly for his next victims.

Both the girl and her younger brother let out cries of fear and, covering the boy, the older sister prepared to take the blow. But just as Cell was within range, the two of them dematerialized before his very eyes, and the android ended up striking the concrete floor; forming a huge dent and a small crater when he came down. With a growl, he looked up, realizing that someone familiar had stopped him. When he did look up, he saw the girl and boy appear hovering in mid-air, held in the arms of one, Son Gohan.

The young Saiyan, hardened with a serious expression in play, was glaring down at Cell, left arm curled around the girl and right arm supporting the boy. He wasn't looking nervous or angry at all, just serious. But the look of seething rage still burned hotly within his orb like eyes. His appearance instantly caught Cell's attention and he stood up to full height, grinning.

"Ha! It's Gohan…"

Furrowing his brow, Gohan floated down from the skies, landing softly just 20 meters away from Cell. The villain in his sights watched him land, seeing him still holding onto the girl and boy protectively. When he landed, the young Saiyan glared at the creature. "And I take it you're Cell. We've met…"

The bug flinched, still smiling. "How did you know I was here?"

Gohan didn't take his eyes off of him for one instant. "I tracked you. It's easy to follow your terrible stench. I simply started from the town I first saw you and worked my way over here. You really don't like to leave patterns in your path, or take a one way route do you?" the young Saiyan stated, glowering.

Cell chuckled. "I expected that from you Gohan. I applaud your deductive ways…"

Gohan's scowl tightened. However, before he could vent anymore of his anger onto the monster, he suddenly felt the arms of the girl he was holding pull him into a tight hug. He also received a kiss on the cheek of gratitude, making him look at the girl in surprise who smiled sweetly at him. "Thank you very much for saving us…thank you" she exclaimed softly, both her and her brother very relieved, now that the shock had died down.

The young Saiyan thought nothing of it and nodded, releasing them both. "No problem. Now go…I'll hold him off…"

"Right," the girl replied, taking her brother by the hand and scampering off towards the plane. Gohan smiled after them, making sure they were alright.

Cell let out a sinister laugh, his eyes remaining fixated on Gohan standing before him. "Ha…this saves me a lot of time. I'm going to enjoy draining you of your energy, Saiyan brat," Cell stated, drawing Gohan's attention to him. The Saiyan warrior child balled his fists and glared hatefully at the creature, eyes flashing. After ages of searching, he was finally able to catch up with the android. But now that he was here, he now had to go through the process of fighting him, holding him off till the girl and her brother got away, and then beat the creature. However, that was to be a problem. Since last meeting, Cell's power level has increased a lot, and he wasn't sure whether he could face him at this stage. He would have to take his base power up to maximum. Cell grinned. "There's no need for resistance. It will be quick…"

"Don't count on it you freak. I'm stopping you right here, right now!" Gohan shouted, holding up a fist at the green android. The imperfect creation growled and took a stance, his ki shooting up despite the lack of aura. Gohan also took a stance, this one being his Dragon Fist, similar to the one his father uses.

"Very well then. You have decided your fate!" Cell yelled. With a warrior's roar, the android charged, hurling through the air and straight at the young Saiyan. Gohan was shocked at the giant grasshopper's speed and leapt into the air, back-flipping over his opponent just as he threw a fist at his previous position, punching a hole in the ground through forward momentum.

Flipping over Cell was easy, he managed to land behind him, stance set and facing the creature's back. But he forgot one important detail; his tail was the thing he was trying to avoid. The long appendage came to life and punched at him, striking like a cobra. Gohan, through fast reflexes, managed to avoid it, leaping to the left before immediately taking a stance of defense, ready for the next attack. Cell's tail was amazingly long, and could stretch a great deal. Now at east 8 meters away, Gohan had to move again when the tail came shooting at him again. Back flipping once more, the young Saiyan avoided the tail, with its point impaling the ground instead of him. He came down head first, pushing off with his right hand and flipping away. When he landed upright on his own two feet again, he dropped into another fighting stance, this one his Tiger Claw attack stance.

Cell spun around to face him, leaning forward towards his target and pushing off, charging at Gohan hard and fast. The Saiyan warrior saw the beast throw a powerful left jab at him, the fist sparkling with blue energy. He immediately recognized that as a precision punch, one his mother used in her fights. Gritting his teeth, Gohan parried the punch with his right, moving inside Cell's defensive circle and penetrating it. He struck him in the chest, just below where the breast bone should be, with his elbow, winding him. He then struck him in the side of the head with a back chop strike. He continued hitting him five more times before spinning back out. Moving upwards, the young Saiyan brought his left elbow down on the back of Cell's neck, sending him to the ground hard onto his hands and knees. Cell growled, wheezing from being winded before returning to the fray. Spotting Gohan landing away from him just several yards to his left, he pushed a bit, bringing his tail about and waving it like a lasso. He then flung it at Gohan, striking the ground instead of him when the child leapt away.

Gohan didn't stop when he retreat. Landing and pushing off again so that he flew backwards, Gohan brought both hands back and cupped them. While still in mid-flight, Gohan chanted the familiar words, "KA-ME-HA-ME…" and then threw both hands forward, unleashing a powerful blue blast at his opponent. Cell got up, seeing the attack flying straight for him. In shock, he gasped and leapt out of the way, the attack striking the ground and exploding with colossal force. A dust cloud floated up, clouding view of the damage that had been made. When both Cell and Gohan landed, the two of them took stances, Cell hunched over with his hands at his sides like how a gorilla has them and Gohan taking one of the Shao-Lin stances Krillin taught him, right leg forward, right hand out and curled a bit down to his left with his left hand held back, and left leg bent.

Both of them glared, with the plane containing the girl and her brother taking off down the run way and lifting up into the air. As fast as possible, the two of them managed to escape. The eighteen year old managed to take one last look down at the battlefield, marveling at how the boy, who she knew as Gohan, fight off against the beast. If she survived this, then she swore to remember his name.

Cell glowered, hearing the plane disappear into the distance. He gritted his teeth and narrowed his snake like eyes further on his opponent. The Saiyan child didn't move an inch, holding the line where he stood. The android figured that any attempt to escape or catch the plane would lead to an immediate counter measure made by Gohan. He didn't want that to happen. More shockingly was that the boy was faster and stronger then he had anticipated.

"You insolent little boy! I should just kill you now! Save the trouble of absorbing you!" the android growled.

Gohan smirked. "Even you'll find that hard to do Cell. I have you outclassed in this field!" The android in question laughed and took a different stance, Piccolo's Riot Fist Stance. Both hands were clawed and he took a stance, usually one to gain an opponent when tackling, able to bring him down like a bull against another.

"So…you have grown strong. I could expect no less. But let's not forget, I have the knowledge of all your fighting styles, as well as your friends' skills and techniques. I can beat you now, and when I absorb 17# and 18#! I will be perfect! No one will ever stop me!" he roared. Gohan grinned.

"Obviously you have no idea what _perfection_ is Cell! You can only understand it, once you've gained understanding of the world and have achieved pureness and a strong mind. Only one person on this planet has a right to be become perfect, one worthy enough under the eyes of life itself. And that has been decided ten years ago!" the young Saiyan shouted. The sinister android grinned and hardened his glare.

"Well…that title has expired for that person. You're mine rat!" he roared, charging at Gohan top speed again. Gohan braced himself, gritting his teeth and powering up. With a yell, he charged at Cell as well, just as he had come two thirds of the way. The android was about the throw a devastating punch at the young Saiyan when he received the blow himself, straight in the chin.

The powerful blow sent him soaring, spiraling out of control as he went skyward. Gohan flew after him, his aura flaring as he pursued. When he reached Cell, he spun and sent a powerful, backward roundhouse kick at the monster's side and sent him flying in another direction. Super speeding again, Gohan followed the screaming Cell and, bringing his hands up, locking his fingers and fisting his grip, sent a hammer blow straight down into Cell's back. The amazing blow sent the insect plummeting. Seconds later, he hit the ground, forming a huge crater on impact and damaging him. After implanting Cell into the ground, Gohan brought his hands up to his forehead, right hand on top of his left. From here, he powered up his final attack, teeth gritting and an orange ball of energy forming in his top palm.

"Present for you, Cell! MAAAaaaa…SEEeeeennnnn…KOOoooo…HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!" Gohan yelled, throwing his palms forward and unleashing his powerful attack. The orange blast expanded in width and diameter, allowing it to consume a large amount of space before it exploded on impact. It shot like a missile straight down for earth, with Cell watching his fate close in around him. His eyes widened in shock and, just like that, the blast struck, exploding with vicious force and consuming an area of 80 square meters, the blast radius reaching up 40 meters, just under the altitude Gohan was floating at.

The light from the explosion blinded Gohan of sight of his opponent, the young Saiyan glaring down at the blast's destructive power. Seconds later, the light, fire, smoke and dust settled, leaving nothing but a smoking crater left, but no remains. Gohan, seeing the empty crater, furrowed his brow and glared harder down at the landmark. He knew that cell was able to avoid that, since he was positioned correctly, even be able to block it. Looking up, the young Saiyan furrowed his brow and sighed.

"_This is going to take a lot of work…"_

"Gohan!" Krillin's voice suddenly called out, advertising the hunting party's presence. As soon as Piccolo and the others had felt the battle ensuing up North, they immediately came running. When they arrived, they were just in time to see the fight close with Gohan still standing. They joined him at his side, all a worry. "Are you alright, man?" Krillin continued.

"Where's Cell?" Piccolo's voice came as he hovered on Gohan's other side, looking at him with concern, and hope that their troubles of that bug were over.

"Is he dead? Did you beat him?" Yamcha asked, also hopefully.

Gohan shook his head sadly. "Sorry guys. But he was able to slip away at the last minute. Now he's onward for the next town." Tien and Yamcha were sure disappointment to hear that and floated back, jabbing their fists in cursing fashion. Krillin was also disappointed, but still had confidence in him. He patted Gohan on the shoulder, the young Saiyan coming to stare at his friend.

"That's okay Gohan…we'll find him…" he exclaimed before adding. "…again…"

Gohan looked up, eyes staring off into the distance. A moment of silence and floating was had, the Z-fighters who had just arrived looking at all the damage and horrors that had taken place. When the time was right, the young Saiyan spoke up. "I'll need to break off from the hunt now guys. I've got to take some thoughts into consideration…"

Piccolo, hearing this, turned to his former student and nodded affirmatively. "You do that kid. We'll carry on looking for Cell. Vegeta and Trunks should be training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Should give you 20 hours remaining…"

The young Saiyan nodded in response. "Well do Piccolo. I'll see yah on the Lookout…"

With that settled Gohan powered up and took off, shooting up high before changing direction and heading towards Kame House. Krillin, Yamcha and Tien waved after him, whereas Piccolo just stared. After yelling their good-byes, the group then set off on their hunt for Cell again, unaware that the android was watching them from inside one of the command towers of the army base. He scowled with anger, yet was relieved he wasn't disintegrated by Gohan's attack. Seeing the rest of them fly off, he too decided to head off.

The hunt continues…

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_

* * *

_**Power levels:**_

**(Battle with Imperfect Cell):**

**Piccolo vs. Imperfect Cell (first time-Ginger town Battle):**

**Piccolo:**

Piccolo (base): 14,500,000

Piccolo (Fuse with Kami): 22,000,000

**Cell:**

Imperfect Cell: 15,000,000

**Gohan vs. Imperfect Cell (Barracks Battle):**

**Gohan:**

Gohan (Base): 24,000,000

Gohan (Base-Full Power): 32,000,000

Gohan (Super Saiyan): 50,000,000

**Cell:**

Imperfect Cell: 19,000,000

Imperfect Cell (Life Extract of 100): 22,000,000

Imperfect Cell (Life Extract of 1000): 26,000,000

Imperfect Cell (Life Extract of 10,000): 30,000,000


	24. Desperation

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Desperation_

After his departure from the barracks area, Gohan flew back to Kame House. It was here he met his mother and Bulma, as well as the other members of the Z-gang who stayed behind to perform their duties from this base of operations. Watching the TV, Master Roshi, Puar, Oolong, Bulma and Chi-Chi were in continuous search for Cell or for any signs of the androids. Their search was deemed futile, as there were no reporters out there on any of the scenes, and because Cell was moving faster then they could track, all efforts of locating him on screen were gutted. When Gohan showed up after hours of being out, his family was relieved.

He told them about the incident at the barracks and apologizes that he was unable to finish the monster. They didn't blame him, no one did. Everybody makes mistakes, and you couldn't get it the first time around. After all, there was always a glimmer of hope out there somewhere. Seeing as that he was hungry and all, Gohan's mother asked him to stay and eat. He didn't refuse, and stayed here with Bulma keeping him company.

Baby Trunks wiggled about in his mother's grip, getting comfortable and making 'gah-gah' sounds, blowing a raspberry every now and then. Bulma giggled and tickled her son on the belly, the young tike laughing. At some points it was probably impossible to make Trunks laugh, seeing that he was Vegeta's son and everything. Gohan sat on the end of the table, smiling as he watched Bulma play around with Trunks beside him. His sword was propped up against the wall; however his pendant, and other small pieces and gear remained on his person. His mother was at the kitchen desk, making him some sushi and fried rice. She knew his favorite dish very well.

After playing around with Trunks for a moment or two, Bulma looked up at Gohan and smiled. "So Gohan, what do you want to be when you grow up. I mean," she shrugged suggestively. "If we get through all of this and anything, do you have any plans for the future?" Gohan didn't have to think long to come up with an answer.

"Well…I was thinking of taking up martial arts. I can enter a couple of those World Martial Arts Tournaments and win the prize money. It's really good business, and easy money on my part. Although I wouldn't like the publicity and everything," Gohan replied. Bulma chuckled and nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I know. That's the only down side. The press always keeps bugging my father and me, always asking us whether we've developed that new speeder, jet or what not. There's always something pricey you can get out of celebrities," the blue haired scientist replied. Chi-Chi glanced over her shoulder from her work and smiled.

"Not to mention stuff you can get out of millionaires who get the money through the lottery," the mother commented. The two people at the table smiled, showing their agreement through that pause before they returned to their earlier conversation. Bulma adjusted little Trunks in her arms a bit before turning back to Gohan again.

"If you don't plan on becoming a martial artist, what else do you have in mind?" Bulma asked. Gohan scratched his chin, making an idea like gesture and looking back up with a smile.

"Well, I could become a teacher. Maybe even a novelist. I could record all our adventures into those books, except use different names and stuff. We were all in it together. There's enough to write a series," Gohan exclaimed. Bulma chuckled, closing her eyes and smiling at him with enthusiasm.

"Hey, that's not bad. Nice idea too!" she replied, opening her eyes and looking at the young Saiyan again. "While you're at it, you can write other adventure stories as well. People really like good adventure and drama novels. You could include some of your philosophy in it as well. That can really get your books flowing."

Chi-Chi joined them soon after, setting the food down for the three of them and getting to eating. With everything assembled at the table and everyone relaxed, they were able to get down to a nice heart to heart chat.

"My Gohan always knows what's best for him and his family. He'll be a real good provider for his wife and children when he gets married," Chi-Chi exclaimed happily towards Bulma. Unfortunately, Gohan was at the table and was just chewing on a sushi roll when he heard what his mother said. She intentionally wanted him to hear it as well, but didn't expect a reaction like what he had. He choked on the fish, rice and seaweed in his mouth before spitting it up, coughing.

"M-Mum!" he yelled. "I think it's a little too early to be thinking about that…" Chi-Chi waved a hand at him, Bulma looking at him with amusement.

"Oh, nonsense son," she replied. "You're a growing boy. You should start thinking more about your social life at this age and what girls you should be dating. I'll see if I can swing by a couple of my old frie…"

"MUM!" he shouted. Chi-Chi just laughed, along with Bulma. Trunks also giggled, finding Gohan's reaction quit humorous as well.

"I'm just poking fun at you son. If you need any help with girls, just come to me or Bulma. But don't go to Master Roshi. He goes overboard with these kinds of things, you know," Chi-Chi said, whispering the last part. Master Roshi had very sharp hearing, but because he was so focused on the television along with everyone else present, he couldn't hear what the group in the kitchen was talking about.

"And especially don't go to Goku or Vegeta. Those two are either clueless or too uptight to say anything about women and marriage etc.," Bulma continued in Chi-Chi's place. The two of them nodded but then started laughing at the end. The idea of those two talking to Gohan about girls was just too much. Chi-Chi could imagine her husband going on about birds and bees, using all sorts of words to refer to the original words, like stuff from martial arts. Bulma could see Vegeta tying Gohan to a Saiyan proof chair and perhaps do his talk more like an interrogation. On the other hand, that seemed highly unlikely.

The group continued to talk, practically just about anything. Their animated discussion went on for a couple more hours before Gohan felt it was time for him to leave. With his time at Kame House spent for the better times of the 24 hours of waiting for Vegeta and Trunks to complete their training in the Hyperbolic Tim Chamber, Gohan collected his sword, bid his mother good-bye and then took off out the door and headed back for Mount Paoz. He only took a little look at his home before passing it completely, heading for the coast. At his sacred spot, he looked out onto the ocean. He paid his respects to the sword burial sight, bowing and saying a few words before heading for his other home away from home.

The words he left behind at the sword grave were these:_ "__It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get up."_

* * *

_**Deep within the Mountain Ranges…**_

Cold winds whipped through the massive stone structures reaching thousands of feet high into the air, far above the sea levels. As well as being far away from civilization, these ranges continued to serve as a sanctuary for the young Saiyan. The familiar castle that was situated right in the centre of these mountains stood strong and firm as before. Despite its rotting, crumbling form and lacking many of its supports, it managed to stay on its feet thanks to its interior design. After a good look at the outside structure, Gohan headed inside, finding himself in the gloomy depths of his crystallized home.

Not even bothering too look around the crystals, Gohan headed up to the platform in the centre of the castle, the light falling onto the smooth surface of the rock and crystal. The mirror at the very end of the room sat tall before him, reflecting his image as he walked towards it. However, he stopped at the very top of the platform, looking up into the light coming down from the window close to the top of the wall behind the mirror. The broken glass refracted the light in his favor, and the gentle chime of the same water droplets falling from one crystal point to another made him feel at ease.

Everything was just as he had left it, and he never felt more relaxed. The scent in the air filled his lungs and the cool change was a welcome relief to all the stress he had been put through. And so, now that he was here, he could get several of the things on his mind out of the way. The thoughts of the androids and Cell had to be wiped for a moment to allow him to think clearly for once. With all the plans and everything else set in motion, he had some more time to kill. So, crossing his legs and assuming his meditative position, he closed his eyes and relaxed his muscles. Within moments, he began to float off of the ground, several feet and into the light. Illuminated by the rays and reflected off of his crystallized home around him, he began his meditation.

* * *

_**Kame House…**_

_**Hours later…**_

After ages of searching, Piccolo, Tien, Krillin and Yamcha had practically given up on finding Cell again. With the fear of the android's massive increase of power, they were beginning to doubt their abilities to be able to fight the creature now. He had already raided 15 towns, 18 villages and 5 major cities and has absorbed everyone in sight. And although they couldn't feel his power level or ki signature anywhere, whenever he was close by or even at a distance, they knew for certain that he was far stronger then before. His eyes watched from the darkness, making their skin crawl. But even so, the Z-fighters refused to give up.

Returning to Kame House, Krillin, Tien and Yamcha rested up, while Piccolo, who didn't require sleep, watched the television for any sign of Cell. News had finally gotten out about the disasters that had occurred, with the girl and boy survivors saved by Gohan being eye witnesses to this tragedy. Other citizens who have survived also played their part on the news, telling their stories of the monster that had attacked their towns. But with no news of the whereabouts of the android made Piccolo irritated. He switched off the TV and growled at it. Krillin, who slept in a sleeping bag next to his other two friends, heard the Namekians ranting and turned over, covering his ears with his pillow.

"Darn that Cell!" Piccolo growled, suppressing his anger as best as he could without blowing away the house. "Where is he? This makes no sense! How can he just disappear into thin air?"

Suddenly, he felt a cold, lifeless presence land nearby, catching his attention. Eyes widening in surprise, Piccolo turned towards the entrance of the homestead. If his ears weren't deceiving him, he could hear two people touch down outside. Strange though, they didn't sound or feel familiar, nor were they emitting any life force. Getting up, the Namekian marched over to the window. He received the shock of his life when he saw Android's 17# and 18# standing right outside on the sand, glaring at the window. When they saw Piccolo appear, they smiled.

"Hi…can Gohan come out and play?" asked 17# in a kind voice that made you feel it was a kind of bad thing.

Piccolo gritted his teeth, hands fisting. Nervous beads of sweat began to run down the side of his head. _"Oh this is perfect. It's exactly what I wanted for breakfast…"_

Waking up the others, Piccolo, Krillin, Tien and Yamcha ran outside, meeting the Androids face to face. All of them took stances of preparation, but weren't classified as fighting stances. They didn't want to a dare a fight here, not on this island. These androids were tough, and nobody wanted to spite them while in front of the rest of their friends and family members. Krillin was the first out onto the sand, followed by Tien, then Yamcha and then Piccolo, who walked out casually, glaring at their unexpected guests. Android 17# and 18# smiled in return, eyes flickering. The sight of Android 18# made Krillin gulp nervously. Even though she was a ruthless killing machine, he couldn't help but stare. She was really beautiful.

"_Man, come on Krillin…pull yourself together pal,"_ the monk said in his head, a light blush appearing on his serious face.

Android 18# waved her hair about, smiling at Krillin while making a suggestive gesture, tilting her head to the side. "What are you staring at, cutie?' she asked. Krillin stepped back, blushing an even darker shade. Android 17# chuckled and nudged her.

"Cool it sis, we're here on business. We're not here to play around," the boy android stated.

"Then I guess your business is with me then," Piccolo stated, hardening his glare and the dangerous duo. "Gohan and Goku aren't here right now. So in their place, I'll stand…" 17# snorted.

"Please. You were barely a match for the Saibamen the last time we saw you. If they could give you a workout then we can surely work you till you drop. Come on, stop joking around Piccolo. Just tell us where Gohan is and we'll be on our way," the android stated.

The Namekian scowled, his fists tightening. He had a bad feeling about this. "What about Goku, do you have any concerns with him?" 18# shrugged.

"We stopped chasing him a long time ago. We have no grudges against him anymore, plus we have the ability to override our previous commands whenever we choose. Now we have no more missions to take care of, only this one. It's my brother that wants to fight, not me. He's looking for retribution for his sound defeat at Gohan's hands. You'd better tell him where he is, he isn't the patient type…"

Piccolo just smiled. "Well, sorry to disappoint you but your fight is with me. If you can beat me, then I'll tell you where Gohan is. Although, that is an unlikely possibility…"

Krillin and the others turned to him in shock. Master Roshi, Chi-Chi, Puar, Chouzu, Bulma and Oolong were looking out the window, watching the whole scene unfold before them. They blinked, keeping silent yet worrying.

"Piccolo…you don't intend to fight them both, do you?" Tien asked. Piccolo smirked.

"Don't worry guys; I'll only be fighting 17#. 18# and the other two aren't in this one. It's just him and me," the Namekian stated. The two bio-robots in front of him looked at each other, shrugged and then looked back. Android 17# smirked and nodded to him.

"Very well then, it looks like we have an understanding. We fight on that island there," the boy android said, pointing out towards a landmass just within view. "If I win, then you tell me where Gohan is…" Piccolo furrowed his brow.

"And if I win…" 17# smirked.

"There's a slim chance that will happen," 17# stated. Piccolo just nodded.

"Very well then, follow me," the Namekian stated. With a brief glance at the others, he took off and headed for the island, faster then 17# and 18# just so he kept on his toes and as far from them as possible. The two of them followed suit. 18# took the liberty of blowing a kiss to Krillin before leaving, with the monk staring after her with the same reflective blush on his cheeks.

It was only a minute's flight to the island before Piccolo and his two followers descended, touching down on the grassy ground and turning to each other. 18# walked over to a nearby oak tree, sitting herself down on the remains of a tree, its stump. During this, 17# placed his hands on his hips while Piccolo removed his weighted clothing. He then turned to the android, a serious expression in play. However, a certain two other androids caught his eye and he glanced back to the oak tree. Underneath it he saw the damaged Android 16# and the distressed Android 18b sitting there, both of them staring at him, yet looking very under the weather. After a moment's glance, the two of them looked away, returning to sitting in silence. Piccolo's brow furrowed, a smirk crossing his lips.

"_Well…it appears that Gohan's words and work has done it. Those two androids are sure to stay out of this, as well as 18#. I promised Krillin I wouldn't destroy her, and that I intend to keep. However, I still have to fight 17#. It won't take long to beat him, but I'm not sure about his strengths. I guess I have no choice but to jump in hard and fast…"_

Turning back to Android 17#, his brow furrowed and he gritted his teeth. "Alright Android 17#! You wanted a fight so I'll give one to you!"

17# chuckled and shrugged off his comments. "Please…you wouldn't even last two seconds against me…"

"Oh yeah! Well watch this!" Piccolo yelled. With a continuous roar of rage, the Namekian warrior dropped into a fighting stance and began to power up. As the ground shook and cracked beneath him, a white aura sprung up around him, debris joining it as the warping energy ripped up the ground beneath him. Within moments, his energy level was growing, rising to an outstanding level that not even Android 17# counted on. He watched with interest as Piccolo's white aura suddenly flashed pure blue and bolts of white electricity began shooting out of him, chewing up the earth at burning it at a five meter radius from him. The ground shook even more, the Namekian's muscles bulging a bit with veins appearing over him. Android 16# picked up the rapid increase in the Namekian's power level and looked at him, sensors on full drive. When he took a reading of Piccolo's ki level, his eyes widened as far as they would go. Soon enough, when it seemed that the island would collapse, Piccolo finished his power up, his energy level resting, balanced. Feeling his strength pulsing through him, the green warrior growled and took a fighting stance, his feet crunching into the ground and forming heavy foot marks. "You're finished 17#!"

With a bellowing roar, Piccolo flew straight at 17#, aura flaring wildly. Faster then the android counted, he was slammed straight across the face by a powerful jab, making him reel back in shock and from the pain he felt of the blow. After which, Piccolo dropped low and rammed several uppercuts into his stomach before, bringing his right leg back and slamming a powerful blow under 17#'s chin, his roar of anger matching the power of his assault. 17# was thrown skyward, hurling out of control. The Namekian warrior gave chase, powering up and shooting after him, leaving a crater and a dust cloud behind him. The other androids watching from the sidelines were shocked at how fast and how strong the Namek had become, however chose to stay out of it. Android 17# was as arrogant as Vegeta. Managing to stop his flight several moments later the boy android readied himself and brought his right hand forward. A powerful, blue sparkling energy ball appeared, illuminating him and his opponent in his sights. Piccolo continuing flying straight at him full speed. With a yell, Android 17# unleashed his _Power Blitz _attack. The energy ball shot straight for Piccolo, with the artificial energy put into it packing extreme heat. Piccolo was ready for it. Bringing his right hand up, he back slapped it out of the way, still flying forward. Then, with a clear sky to strike, he super speeded the rest of the way up to his opponent and appeared behind him. Android 17# gasped in shock when he saw the Namek suddenly appear behind him. Flipping backwards, he kicked the android straight in the back, sending him plummeting towards the earth like a meteor.

17# dropped, and when he did, it was fast. Within seconds, he crashed, landing on his hands and knees and forming a crater beneath him. The earth shook from the very force of impact, and when it finally stopped shaking, 17# was looking up, eyes wide, teeth gritted and blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. New bruises have been inflicted on him, and showed now that the old battle scars had healed. He was shocked that he was unable to keep up with the Namekian warrior. This didn't give him any time to think because Piccolo was coming down, right on top of him. Pushing off the ground he leapt and rolled to the side, just as Piccolo's foot came down into the crater, forming a larger one in its place and a cloud of dust rising from the strike. 17# rolled out of harms way, stopping some distance away before turning round and flying at Piccolo, who was still submerged in the cloud of debris. As it was settling, Piccolo spun to meet his opponent, seeing him flying at him. The android's fist shot out, with the Namekian moving to the side a bit to avoid before his fist connected with 17#'s face. The blow, strong and powerful it was, sent the cybernetic enhanced human flying back the way he came, but not as fast. After which, Piccolo brought his left hand about and threw a yellow, disk shaped energy ball at his target. Upon impact, it exploded, increasing the android's speed of flight. Now he was even more deep fried. Piccolo was gaining ground easily.

Back flipping into submission, Android 17# moved into a fast retreat, floating back at flight speed. He looked ahead of him, looking to see if his opponent was following him. To his utter surprise, he could see Piccolo anywhere. He was so focused on what was in front of him, he failed to see the ripping of the ground beside him, as if a sharp was swimming close to the surface of the water. The break in the ground didn't go unnoticed by the other androids, but 17# didn't spot it. Seconds later, Piccolo suddenly burst out of the ground behind the android, leaping high and spinning about, sending a kick right into his opponent's back. The blow caused a shock wave, sending 17# flying forward with a yell of pain. He skidded along the ground, the momentum he had gained from the force of the blow creating a deep entrenchment. But after several yards, 17# stopped, managing to leap back to his feet and spin around to defend himself from the Namekians fury. Piccolo was right in front of him, ready to attack. In response, Android 17# punched out, meeting Piccolo's elbow. Following up the connection that formed a shock wave, the two of them locked in a flurry of punches, kicks and defensive techniques. Parries blocked blows, but it was obvious the two of them had their fair share of connecting blows. The blows were heavy and hard, shock waves ringing with every assault. The exchange of attacks went on for several moments before 17# crumbled under extreme pressure. He back flipped out of the way as fast as he could, just as Piccolo over shot a hook. Landing 25 meters away, the android brought his right hand back and threw it forward, unleashing a cluster blast. Blue, small energy balls shot at Piccolo, landing all around him. It appeared that the attack was effective, but just then, the Namekian fazed out, the series of small explosions suddenly erupting into a bellowing fire ball. The ground shook as a massive crater was punched into the earth.

After seeing his opponent disappear, 17# began frantically looking for his opponent. Jus then, Piccolo appeared behind him, with the boy android reacting to this instantaneously. Spinning around, he launched a punch at Piccolo, only for the green fighter to catch his fist and use his own strength against him. He palm struck across his face, kneed him in the stomach, lifting him off the ground from the force and then roundhouse kicked him away. At the end of the combo, and after he had sent his opponent flying, Piccolo pursued. He zapped into super speed, covering a lot of ground and appearing behind his opponent. Just as 17# had managed to stop himself from flying on, he suddenly received a right kick to the back of his head from Piccolo leaping through the air, flipping and coming down on him with the blow. This sent the black haired android onto his hands and knees, his head and body throbbing with pain. Not wanting to get struck again, 17# pushed off, flying high just as Piccolo returned to the ground and struck at him with a slide kick. He missed and watched as his opponent flew up. He saw the lapse in his defence and was easily able to act on this. Throwing his right hand up, he sent an invisible blast at 17#, this blow knocking him off balance and stopping him. The android suspended himself in mid-air, his position presenting a perfect opportunity for the Namekian.

Bringing both hands to his sides, Piccolo powered up his next attack. Golden, sparkling energy balls appeared in his palms, sparkling with electricity and shining brightly. 16#, 18# and 18b watched with interest as to what the green warrior would do with this. Seconds later, the Namekian completed his power up and he began throwing his hands forward, unleashing a barrage of about 50 golden ki blasts.

"SCATTER SHOT!!!" he yelled, the attacks flying at 17#, honing in on him. The android tucked himself up, crossing his arms over his face to defend himself. After a few seconds, and he didn't feel the repeating impacts of the energy blasts or the burning sensation of pain, Android 17# looked up. When his eyes ventured around him, he discovered to his shock that the blasts had stopped themselves, surrounding him in the forms of glowing, golden balls. He gaped, wheeling round and round. But when he saw that he was boxed in on all sides, he knew that there was no way out. Piccolo down below chuckled, his index and middle fingers held up at him and holding the ki blasts in place.

"No where for you to run!" he shouted, bringing both hands and pointing them up. "THIS IS THE END!" he yelled, his voice echoing as he crossed his hands sharply, bringing the blasts into the centre. 17# let out a yell as all the energy balls came flying at him at once. Gathering with efficiency, the combined force and magnitude of the barrage of energy blasts formed a colossal explosion that lit up the skies with the force of 150 megatons. Blasts of wind careered down, ripping up the ground and oceans. With time, the explosion was now just a burning cloud, and soon later, it died. 17#'s smoking form came hurling out of the cloud, clothes ripped and was looking more battered then usual. Piccolo smirked.

"Like I said, finished…"

17#"s body landed many meters in front of him, the android managing to land on his right knee, both hands supporting him. Trembling on the spot, the black haired boy stood up, stumbling about a bit before locking a furious gaze with the Namekian.

"How?" he yelled. "How did you get so strong? There is no way you can beat me! Information on you shows that you're inferior to Goku, Gohan and Vegeta! This just isn't possible!"

Piccolo laughed. "Ha! You can't always trust what mere data can tell you. You never know when someone will grow stronger over night…"

Android 17# held up a trembling fist, backing away. "Why you…!" Piccolo cracked his neck, slamming his right fist into his left palm and loosening his muscles. With only minor damage inflicted on him, he was ready for another brawl.

"You're going to die at my hands, 17#. Prepare yourself!"

"Sorry, Piccolo. But I can't let you do that…" a sinister, rough, very cold voice suddenly said from behind him. The Namekian straightened in shock, his eyes widening. He recognized that voice, anyone would. The feel of his cold energy and dark presence was hard to not notice. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a dark green tail with the light brown stinger swish by, indicating one thing.

Cell was here…

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	25. Silent Warrior

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Silent Warrior_

With the looming darkness now at full stretch, things have just turned bleak. When it seemed victory was imminent for Piccolo, a very unwanted person showed up on the scene. Frozen where he stood, the Namekian warrior stared fearful and nervously ahead of him, hands at his sides and form trembling. The monster Cell had just managed to sneak into the battle and was standing right behind him at full height, towering over him and edging him with his cold presence. Android 17# had also found himself rooted to the spot, look of surprise also written on his face. The other androids standing under the tree had turned toward the monster, 18# and 18b on their feet and staring at the beast with shock. Android 16#, finally discovering the very illusive being that had been evading his sensors, was concerned as well. Looking at Cell with wide eyes and a bead of sweat running down his charred forehead, the large android could do nothing but try and get to his feet.

Cell chuckled evilly, looking down at Piccolo with his snake, sharp eyes. Slowly, he began to raise his right hand towards the Namekian, his energy moving into his palm. He concentrated a significant amount of it into what he planned to do next. "Thank you for leading me to the androids, Piccolo. If it was up to me, I'd let you go. But because you've been such a thorn in my side for these past 24 hours, I have decided on a new means of achieving my perfect form. Like I said, I won't let anyone stand in my way." Piccolo gritted his teeth, more sweat running down his face.

The ki he felt radiating off of Cell now was unbelievable he. It had increased loads since they last saw each other. And for a fact that he was here now was shocking enough. After a moment of standing where he was, he glanced over his shoulder at the beast, teeth still gritted. "You won't get away with this, Cell!" The creature grinned, eyes shining.

"Oh really, and what are you going to do about it?" The Namekian trembled more, balling his fists. At that moment, he turned back to the androids and shouted.

"RUN 17#! HE'S GOING TO ABSORB YOU!!!" the Namekian shouted. Just then, there was a flash of light and a ripping sound when suddenly, a golden blast shot straight out of Piccolo's chest. The Namek let out a yell of shock before being reduced to a choking sound as the blast pulsed straight through him. Cell grinned sinisterly as his attack went straight through his foe and shot straight up into the sky. Seconds later, he relinquished his outpour of energy and lowered his arm. Here, Piccolo dropped to his knees and fell flat forward, close to a coma like state. His eyes were wide and white, showing no life whatsoever. He was finished.

Cell chuckled, stepping forward and kicking the maimed Namekian away. He then walked and stood in place, arms still at his sides and eyes plastered on Android 17#. The insect chuckled lowly, swishing his tail eagerly. "Well, isn't this my lucky day. Both 17# and 18# are here. How convenient…"

17#, shocked at how easily Piccolo was beat by the creature, growled and stepped forward, dropping into a fighting stance. "Who the heck are you?!" The monster laughed and bowed to the android.

"Sorry, where are my manners? I forgot to introduce myself," the warrior exclaimed, looking back up with a smile. "My name is Cell. I am an android created by Dr. Gero. I've been searching for you and 18# for so long…"

"Oh yeah!" 17# retorted. "Why? What for?" he asked.

"To become a part of me of course!" Cell replied. "Join me, and together we can create the perfect warrior and being, one who stands above all others. Let us complete Dr. Gero's hard work. Just make it easier for all of us and give yourselves in, I promise it will only take a second…"

Android 17# growled and took a firmer stance. After seeing Piccolo get beaten, he wasn't in the mood to fall prey to this creature. "If you want me, then come and get me!" he shouted.

Cell chuckled. "Very well then!" With a burst of amazing speed and power, the android shot across the ground and straight for 17#. He immediately appeared beside him, sending a right uppercut into his stomach, winding him and lifting him off the ground with the force. After that, he elbowed him in the back, grounding him. The biological bug downed him in three seconds flat. And now that 17# was out of it, the android picked him up by the back of his collar and held him above the ground. His tail swiveled about, pointing directly at his main prey.

"Your efforts to resist are futile. Just relax," Cell whispered. 17#, recovering his bearing, suddenly realized that the creature had him and began struggling, reaching for his back but unable to relinquish his opponent's hold of him. He growled and kicked, but all in vein.

"L-Let me go!" he shouted. "Put me down you freak!"

Cell laughed, his tail preparing to open up to make way for the main course. When it seemed Android 17#'s fate was sealed, an unexpected attacker launches at the pair and slams a powerful fist across the bug android's face. Imperfect Cell, surprised by the sudden attack, released 17# and leapt out of the way with a bruised face. Rubbing his cheek, he growled and glared back to find out who the daring fighter was that stopped him. As it turns out, Android 18b had come to her brother's rescue, and was standing in front of him, in the path of the beast. She was dropped in a fighting stance and was glaring angrily at Cell. 17#, who was relieved at not being absorbed, stood up.

"Thanks, sis," he exclaimed. 18b just glared at her enemy, the giant bug returning to a proper standing position and leering at her venomously.

"Don't mention it. Now get out of here! I'll handle him!" she stated. Not needing to be told twice, Android 17# scampered over to the others. Cell saw him run off and furrowed his brow, turning back to the girl android standing in his way. On inspection of this new attacker, he found from analysis that she was a similar model to Android 18#, only more advanced and holding a vaster collection of data. The strength she displayed was surprising enough, making Cell smirk.

"Well, it seems that a little fire fly has just stepped into my web. I'm going to enjoy absorbing you 18b. Instead of 17#, I think I'll focus on you instead!" Cell stated. Android 18b smirked, her eyes narrowing down on her target.

"Yeah right!" she retorted. "You won't be able to absorb me you creep. I'm way faster then you! You'll never be able to catch me" she stated. The mighty Cell chuckled and took a fighting stance, his eyes firmly plastered on her.

"This is a welcome change of pace. I can certainly agree with this. It's only a matter of time!" he hissed. Like the wind, he shot straight at 18b, growling and holding his fists back, ready to strike. The black haired android prepared herself, watching as the giant insect flew straight for her.

With cool reflexes, she leapt straight up; avoiding the punch the monster threw at her. he struck the ground, forming a nice imprint and crater. Spinning through the air, she floated upside down, moving skyward in a diagonal path. She threw bother hands forward, aiming for the creature's back and powering up her attack. A golden energy ball shot out of her palms, flying straight for the thing in her sights. Cell spun around, seeing the attack heading towards him and slapped it away. With a growl of frustration, he took flight as well, shooting straight up and at his target. 18b repositioned herself upright, taking a defensive stance and waiting for the creature to strike. He jabbed out at her, tail first, only for her to avoid it and maneuver around him as he flew past her. Quickly, they both turned to each other with Cell continuing his assault. He swiftly brought his tail about and continuing throwing it out at her. She repeatedly avoided it, one strike after another before eventually grabbing it in a head lock like grapple and threw her hand forward. She fired off a blue ki blast at point black range, the attack hitting her opponent dead in the face. Cell let out a yell of pin and staggered back when she released his tail. Just as he was staggering, 18b charged, letting out a yell. It was just what Cell expected of her. Just as she struck out with a jab, he brought his knee up and struck her in the stomach. After that, he brought both his hands up and slammed them into her back using a jackhammer strike. The combination sent her falling, spinning out of control. She crashed into the earth seconds later, forming a crater of herself in the rock hard ground.

Seeing her downed, Cell shot straight towards her, bringing his tail around and positioning it so that it was ready to strike. 18b sensed Cell's approach and quickly got to her feet. Just as Cell landed with his tail striking at the same time, Android 18b back flipped away from him, his tail impaling the ground. She landed in front of him after six flips, dropped into a fighting stance. Quickly, Cell removed his tail end from the ground and jabbed out at her with it, the strike barely grazing her when she leapt out of the way to avoid it. Landing some ways away, 18b leapt back one more time and brought both hands back. Yellow balls of energy began to crackle and sizzle in her grip, alerting Cell of what she was planning. Although in pain, and already exhausted from the insuring fight already, the black haired android managed to initiate this one attack Gohan was real famous for. With the concentrated energy now distributed evenly in both hands, she threw them forward, unleashing a barrage of 12, high powered energy balls, sending them all at Cell in blast like form. "SCATTERED VOLLEY SHOT!!!"

Cell chuckled and stood up, crossing his arms over his face before pumping them and his chest out. Just as the blast were closing in, a green, sparkling energy field suddenly expanded around him, creating a barrier between him and the lethal blasts. "FIELD OPEN!!!" he yelled. The golden energy blasts repeatedly struck the shield, exploding with a magnificent display of sparks and fire. However, none of the blasts managed to penetrate Cell's powerful defense, leaving Android 18b standing shocked and rooted to the spot. After all the blasts had landed and failed, Cell lowered his arms to his side and repositioned himself into a threatening attack stance. He grinned maliciously at the raven haired android and licked his lips. His tail swished angrily behind him. "Nice try, lunch…"

With a yell of rage, 18b shot at Cell. Using her momentum as strength, she threw a right side kick straight at the creature. The biological android easily evaded it, leaping over her and watching her fly underneath him. 18b suspected this move and immediately landed several meters behind his previous position, crouched low. Spinning around, she threw her right hand up and out, at the same time throwing several of her remaining Ninja stars up at him. The projectiles shot through the air straight for the android, hitting him cleanly all over his front chest and stomach. His reaction was as painful as his state looked; he let out a cry of agony, purple blood seeping out of the wounds. Quickly, he returned to the ground, flipping and stumbling when he landed. Staggering to a stance, he looked down at the freshly made injuries, these ones digging in deep thanks to the precision and strength of the attack. 18b turned around fully, watching nervously to see what he would do next. After a brief look at the damage done, Cell smiled and glanced up at her.

"Children shouldn't be playing with knives," he hissed, reaching up with his hand and, one after another, beginning to pull the stars out as if they were splinters. Once all of them were in his hand, he threw them to the side and glared at her. "Why don't you just give up, you're only wasting valuable energy…"

18b scowled, dropping into another stance. "Not on your life, bug breath!"

With a yell of anger, Cell charged at her, again, throwing his tail out first and striking like a cobra. Android 18b leapt into the air and began evading all of the tail strikes. Careful not to get hit by the point, she moved from side to side, parrying the tail if need be. Cell was quick in his pursuit, able to lay down this assault while approaching her. She, in turn, retreated, worried at being hit.

While this fight was underway, with 17#, 18# and 16# watching from the sidelines, Gohan suddenly appeared on the field. Materializing out of thin air right next to Piccolo's body, he took a brief glance over at Cell. Immediately upon spotting him, the young Saiyan took a good look at his energy level, and from that quick inspection, he knew how powerful he had become; and that he shouldn't be wasting time here. There was nothing he could do now to stop him. _"Sorry 18b, you're on your own…" _So, crouching low and collecting up the wounded Piccolo into his arms, he quickly used his teleportation technique to take them both to the Lookout. If they needed a plan, now was the time. Besides, Vegeta and Trunks' time in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber was nearly up.

After avoiding all the tail strike, 18b managed to fly back in fast retreat, firing off another purple _Energy Blitz_ attack and keep Cell at bay. The bug android back slapped her attack, easily making short work of it before flying straight up after her. He appeared beside her, right hand held out towards her. The raven haired android gasped when she saw him appear before her, and turned just in time to see a golden blast strike her clean in the midsection and explode, sending her careering for the ground again. She landed heavily, forming a crater and slipping into unconsciousness. Using this as his advantage, Cell shot down to her and swept her up into his hand. And, like before, but wasting no more time galloping about, he brought his tail about and opened it, forming a wide, open funnel. With that done, he quickly consumed 18b into it, clamping it down and beginning to suck her up. Forming a bulge in his appendage, Cell greedily swallowed her whole, watching as she tunneled down into darkness and disappear into him. Then, it happened.

Like a thunderstorm that had suddenly sprung up, Cell underwent his transformation. Taking a powering up stance, the maniacal bug was thrown into a fit of agony and pain as he slowly began to morph. A green energy field exploded around him, crackling with blue electricity and flashing a continuous array of bright lights. The shocked 16#, 17# and 18# could only watch as their sister's absorption gave way to the transformation of their new enemy. With his energy climbing, Cell's body changed. His beetle like wings retracted into his back, leaving only his tail which developed an orange, underbelly underneath his dark green, black spotty texture. His three toed feet, now becoming defined like the rest of his body, morphed into boot like toes and souls. They solidified into place, his shins and gastro muscles taking on a black, shell like appearance. Slowly, he increased in size, muscles bulging and posture straightening. His chest buffed out, same as his shoulders, and the V shape of his crown and cranium also took a new turn. It straightened and moved upwards, no longer moving out. He developed orange lines around his chin and the sides of his head, framing his face within it. His orange, exo-skeletal mouth became a normal mouth with no nose, just a black plate taking its place. His eyes also enhanced, becoming more human like yet filled with evil and hunger. With his skin tone darkening and muscles now fully enhanced, he completed his transformation in one giant explosive force. Gales of wind shot out of him, sending everyone reeling with shock at the energy he displayed and ki he radiated. Within seconds, the shield around him dropped, revealing him glowing in a blue, radioactive aura that shone off him, illuminating his whole new second stage form. He straightened himself from his powering up positioning and sighed with an evil smile.

Looking down at his new body, Cell studied his chin and grinned, feeling his new skin and shape smooth under his touch. Although he was rough on some outer places, he could feel his strength pulsing with new life. Chuckling, he glared ahead of him, eyes flashing.

"Yes!" he exclaimed in a deeper voice then before. Although it was a little rough, it had perfected itself, becoming more man like. "Yes, this is great. So this is what evolution feels like. What power! It's incredible," he exclaimed. He then grinned and glanced over at the three androids standing under the tree. "However, I am still not complete. All I need is to absorb Android 18#, then my evolution will be over and I shall attain Perfection…"

17# wheeled around to her sister and yelled to her. "Run sis! RUN!!!" Immediately, the blonde haired beauty took flight, in an attempt to get away from the monster. Cell however, was not going to let her escape, and took off after her. Before she could even take full flight and gain any altitude, Cell appeared in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. He smiled down at her, seeing her back away and land. He touched down too, turning to face her fully.

"There's no need for that 18#. Just rest easy and let me do all the work. Believe me, it will be all worth while," the android stated, stepping towards her. Android 18#, now fearful for her survival, stepped away, taking a stance. She readied herself to fight for her survival.

Just as Cell was bringing his tail around, he was suddenly attacked from behind when a blue ki ball rammed right into his back, exploding with powerful force but not enough to hurt him. Surprised at the ram of the attack, he spun around, Android 18# leaping back in surprise, as well as keeping her distance from her attacker.

"WHO DID THAT?!" Cell roared. When the groups on the ground turned in the direction the blast had come from, they saw a very familiar person standing not too far away. Fists at his side and glaring at Cell, Krillin stood there, his eyes flaring.

"Hold it there!" Krillin shouted. "That's as far as you will go, Cell! I will not allow you to absorb Android 18#!"

Seeing who it was, Cell sniggered and turned around. He began to approach the monk, his stride tall and strong. All the while he kept his malicious grin in play. "Oh, it's you Krillin. Figures…you're always trying something heroic. Well…your heroism doesn't come without its consequences. It was foolish of you to show up. I think I'll kill you first…"

18# was looking in shock over at the fighter now opposing Cell's wrath. He stood there, though looking nervous, stared the monster down with a warrior's glare no one had ever seen before. Tightening his fists, he took a Snake style fighting stance, a style Chi-Chi was most famous for. When he dropped into that stance, Cell immediately stopped. The monk gritted his teeth before speaking. "Good luck trying! Because I'm not that easy to beat you creep!"

Cell laughed. "Well, this should be entertaining. Just another morsel to add to the thousands I have already absorbed! YOU'RE MINE!" the android bellowed, throwing his tail forward and flinging the point end directly at the small fighter. Krillin reacted instantaneously and leapt over the strike which landed cleanly on the ground, cracking it. Flipping over towards his opponent, Krillin sent a jab directly for Cells face. The bio insect didn't expect that at all and received the surprisingly powered up punch right in the cheek. The blow staggered him, but he stopped a second later. Grinning, he glanced over at the monk to see him land again. Rubbing his jaw, Cell lowered his arms to his sides and sighed.

"I'm going to enjoy watching you die, Krillin…"

With a yell of his own, the monk launched himself at Cell, floating up to head height and beginning to send barrages of punches and kicks at the massive insect. Cell, with a sinister smirk, began to avoid and dodge all the attacks unleashed upon him. Moving from left to right, shifting on the spot, he avoided the whirlwind of lightning fast punches. Despite the monk's best efforts, he was unable to lay even a single hand on him this time. All the while, Cell kept his grin up, backing away ever so slowly as Krillin approached. Watching the monk suffer through frustration was perhaps some of the best entertainment he had had all day. 18#, 17# and 16# watched from afar, a little bewildered at the energy Krillin possessed.

Launching a powered up right punch, Krillin saw Cell disappear before his very eyes. He gasped in shock, looking around for his opponent in desperation. Just then, the second form Cell appeared above him, floating upside down as the fighter was still moving forward from the momentum of his last attack. Just as he was, the android held up his left hand and unleashed a aqua colored energy ball at Krillin's back. The blast struck home, exploding with colossal force that equaled to that of Piccolo's Destructive Wave now. When the ball exploded on impact, the fore sent Krillin's burnt body hurling across the landscape. He skidded to a stop, crashing right near 18#'s feet. After a moment of lying in that crumpled heap he was in, the trembling fighter, struggled to his feet, pushing off and turning around. Now all battered and bruised, and looking as though he was about to collapse, Krillin grinned and took the best stance he could muster. Cell landed, looking at him in surprise.

"He-heh…is…i-is that the best you c-can do…?" Krillin asked with a shaky, stunned voice. The giant bug scowled.

"A persistent one, aye? Well, that problem can easily be solved…" In a flash, Cell shot at his target, fist held back and ready to strike. In response 18# leapt out of the way, retreating, whereas Krillin leapt into the air to avoid the strike. Cell's fist connected with air, driving through. Controlling his momentum, he spun around and glared up into the sky, seeing his opponent fly up higher before stopping and turning around.

With a shaky growl, Krillin brought both his hands up before throwing them forward, unleashing a powerful, blue energy blast. The thick ki attack soared straight down for Cell like a meteor, illuminating the entire area in its approach. The mighty android smirked, seeing the standard attack coming at him at full speed. With little effort, Cell brought his right hand back and back-slapped the attack, sending it into a mountain side where it exploded, turning the entire structure into a pile of rubble. With the conclusion of Krillin's failed attack, Cell glared up at Krillin and charged his next attack. His eyes glowed a bright blue for a moment before two, narrow, pink beams of energy shot out and straight at the monk. The bald fighter gasped and avoided the attack barely, shooting past his previous position with the potential of cutting through him like a bullet through paper. It was with this avoidance move did Krillin initiate his next attack. Bringing his right hand back, he threw it forward, firing a golden energy ball that hurled straight down at his target. Cell smirked, it was too predictable. He easily caught the attack in his palm and crushed it, watching the sparks fly.

The towering android responded in kind with a different technique. Bringing both hands back, one palm placed on another, Cell powered up a new attack, his hands glowing purple with sparkling blue electricity shooting out of it. After a second's charge, he threw both hands forward, yelling "GALLIC GUN!!!" and unleashed a powerful, purple blast of energy. The attack ripped through the sky like a jet at full speed, soaring straight at Krillin at an amazing rate. Krillin barely had time to move, moving to his left as the blast went hurling straight past him. It was this little mistake that cost Krillin a lot. Appearing behind him ever so suddenly, Cell brought his right fist back, a grin edged on his face.

Sensing his opponent behind him, Krillin gasped and spun around. Just then, Cell threw his punch at him, the blow striking him dead in the face…

* * *

_**Up on the Lookout**_

When Gohan appeared on the Lookout with Piccolo, he was immediately surrounded by Goku, Dende and Mr. Popo. The three of them looked down at Gohan with concern, with their Namekian friend in his arms. Goku blinked in surprise, crouching next to his son and focusing his attention on him.

"Gohan, what happened?" Goku asked.

Gohan pulled a Senzu bean out of his brown bag, fitting it into Piccolo's mouth. He was badly beat up and burnt, and just from one blast. It was a miracle the Namekian was still alive after receiving a 5 X 1000 straight through the chest.

"To be blunt dad, Cell found the androids. And by the looks of it," Gohan continued, glancing over the edge of the Lookout and down to earth. "It seems as though he has absorbed one of them." It was just then he sensed another disturbance. Not only did he sense Cell down there, but two ki's were fluctuating and were in battle. When he finally realized whose ki that was, he stood up, tying back his pouch as the bean he had fed Piccolo took effect. "And Krillin's down there! He's fighting Cell, darn it! He doesn't stand a chance!" Goku, Dende and Mr. Popo also looked up. The too could sense Cell's new found power as well as the smaller ki fluctuating beside his. It was wavering, shrinking and growing, indicating that another battle was taking place.

Gohan gritted his teeth and spun around, preparing to take off into teleportation again. "I'm going to help him!"

"NO GOHAN! Wait!" Goku yelled, grabbing his arm and stopping him. The young Saiyan felt himself get stopped and turned around, looking up at his father. He saw him looking down at him seriously. "We can't go now! The more time we waste out here, the more risky it will become to use the Hyperbolic Time Chamber when we're not around. You can't go anyway because Vegeta and Trunks are done now…" It was through this announcement did the group detect to, high powered ki signatures emerge out of nowhere. Looking back towards the building behind them, they waited for only a short period of time till they saw the Prince of all Saiyans and his son emerge. Walking across the tile toned floor of the Lookouts surface, they approached the group, eyes fixated on all of them.

As soon as they emerged, from the Lookout, Piccolo was healed and back on his feet again. Shaking his head, he quickly recalled everything that had happened to him up to his moment of losing consciousness. It was then he became aware of his new location and looked around, seeing everyone turned in the direction of the floating platform's main building. He too looked around, seeing Vegeta and Trunks walking towards them. The shock didn't reach him until seconds later when he got a full whiff of their power in their base forms. Everyone was staring at them in shock. Well…all accept Gohan, who was staring at them with a bit more seriousness edged in his expression.

With his arms crossed, Vegeta stopped several meters in front of the group, his Saiyan armor and uniforms all battered and torn thanks to his months of training in the Chamber. Mirai was also standing in a similar state, only he his outward appearance had taken the most dynamic change. He had grown several feet and now stood about the same height as Goku. His hair had also grown down to around his neck, it a bunch of it tied back into a small pony tail behind him. Over all, he was quite beyond recognition. Vegeta, however, looked as though he hadn't changed a bit, except he was a lot buffer then before, and his ki has taken an amazing lift.

He scowled at the group in front of them, nodding. "My training is done, and I'm overly satisfied at my accomplishments," the prince stated, perhaps the best thanks you would probably be getting out of him for a while now. Mirai just stared at the others, a smile appearing on his face soon after. Goku, taking note of the dramatic changes the pair have been through, smiled back and nodded.

"So we see…great job you two,' Goku congratulated. Gohan stepped towards them as well, glancing over at Trunks and lowering his head.

"Did you find what you were looking for in there?" the young Saiyan asked. Mirai nodded in response, tugging at his ruined jacket with his smile still in play.

"Yup, and I think you'll also see we're strong enough to beat those androids now, even Cell, if you'll just point him out for us," Mirai stated, his tone and the way he replied hinting Vegeta like pride in it. He was certainly the son of the Prince. Gohan just smiled as well, turning to Vegeta as well. He saw the Saiyan Prince looking at his outfit, adjusting it and checking the damages.

"Then we take it you're both ready. That's good, because there have been some changes while you were gone," Gohan said, his look becoming serious. "Cell has just absorbed Android 18b, and is going after 17# or 18# next. You'd best get a move on down there, Krillin is holding him off…" Trunks nodded affirmatively.

"Well do Gohan," the future warrior replied. He removed his jacket, tossing it aside and stretching out. Using one of the techniques he was taught by his former master, the youthful warrior sent his energy coursing over him. Focusing hard on the moment and concentrating his energy, a flashing series of lights began popping over him. Then, in an instant, a blinding light occurred and died, revealing Trunks in a new set of clothes. Being the only things he could think of, he appeared before the Z-fighters in Vegeta's Saiyan outfit, all similar right down to the boots and corners. Adjusting the gloves, the young Saiyan moved his arms about to check its comfort before smiling again. "We'll take care of him…"

Vegeta went through the same process his son used to acquire his new outfit. Without the need of hard concentration, he easily produced for himself a new outfit of his own. He refused to replace it, finding his Saiyan image far better then any of the outfits the earth folk wore. It was understandable as well. It would be a while till he tore himself away from old ties. With his new uniform acquired and his muscles loosened, he walked over to the edge of the Lookout, still keeping his eyes on Goku and Gohan. He also took a glance at Piccolo, noting the just healed damages he had received from his battle. With a nod, he continued on.

"You don't need to go in there. We'll take care of business, Kakarot. But that's not my decision to make…" the prince called. Goku just chuckled and waved to him.

"Right! Take care Vegeta!" Goku called back. With an uncaring wave of his own, Vegeta powered up to Super Saiyan, the explosion of energy he displayed shocking everyone except Goku, Gohan and Trunks. It was a truly magnificent spectacle to witness, as the force winds and aura around him was as fierce as his rising ki. Once it reached its maximum, Vegeta took off and shot straight down toward the planet at full speed. He rocketed into the distance and out of sight. Mirai also began walking over to the edge of the Lookout, but before he could proceed any further, he patted Gohan on the shoulder and nodded to him.

"Good luck, Gohan," he exclaimed. The young Saiyan nodded back with a smile of his own.

"You too…here," Gohan said, reaching into the brown bag at his side and pulling out three Senzu beans. He gave it to the young warrior, seeing him take them carefully. "One's for you, the other two you're going to need for your battle if things turn rough. You're gonna need them, trust me…" Trunks smiled and gave him the thumbs up, slipping the beans into a hidden pocket under his Saiyan armor.

"Thanks, Gohan. See you in a year!" he shouted, giving a salute. Sprinting the rest of the way to the edge of the Lookout, the warrior powered up to Super Saiyan and followed his father's path, disappearing seconds later.

With the disappearance of the two Saiyan warriors, Goku, Gohan and Piccolo proceeded with the next phase of their plan. Although still worried about Krillin's well being at this time, Gohan set aside his worrisome thoughts and replaced it with hope. He knew that his friend was going to be alright, and knowing that any negative thoughts would slow him down, the young Saiyan focused solemnly on the training ahead.

"Well, let's get going then," Goku said, leading the way into Kami's Lookout. Gohan and the others followed, Dende staying behind to keep an eye on things down below. Along the way, Piccolo repaired his fighting gi and produced for himself a new set of weighted clothing. The group moved as one down to the entrance of the Room of Spirit and Time. Easily navigating their ways through the maze like hallways, Gohan decided to have a word with Piccolo, curious about some other matters.

"Hey Piccolo," Gohan began. "Mind if I ask you something?" Gohan asked. His friend turned to him, arms crossed, but still looking down at him in response.

"Sure, what's bothering you?" Piccolo replied.

"What exactly did you feel when you were fighting Cell?" the young Saiyan asked. "Was it something you've never felt before, or was it the feeling you get that things were about to get worse?" The Namekian hunched his eye and looked back up. It was a puzzling question, but he knew just how to reply.

"Well kid…above the fear and nervousness I felt from just sensing his ki, I knew things were about to get worse. But if you're talking about later terms, I feel that things now are just the beginning of worse things to come," Piccolo replied. Gohan nodded.

"I figured as much. That's what I sensed coming off of him too…"

In no time, the group eventually reached the entrance to the Time Chamber. With careful warnings from Mr. Popo and the same instructions laid down to them as it was down to Vegeta and Mirai, the genie opened the door to the room, revealing the universe within. Taking one last look at their surroundings, the three warriors held their breath as they entered the Time Chamber, disappearing as the door was closed up on them.

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_

* * *

_**Power levels:**_

**(Battle with the Androids):**

**Piccolo vs. Android 17#:**

**Piccolo:**

Piccolo (base): 15,000,000

Piccolo (Fuse with Kami): 34,000,000

**Android 17#:**

Android 17# (base): 25,000,000

Android 17# (Full Power): 30,000,000

**Piccolo vs. Imperfect Cell:**

**Piccolo**

Piccolo (base): 15,000,000

Piccolo (Fuse with Kami): 34,000,000

**Cell:**

Imperfect Cell (Base): 22,000,000

Imperfect Cell (Life Extract of 100): 28,000,000

Imperfect Cell (Life Extract of 1000): 32,000,000

Imperfect Cell (Life Extract of 10,000): 36,000,000

Imperfect Cell (Life Extract of 100,000): 42,000,000

**Imperfect Cell vs. Android 18b:**

**Cell:**

Imperfect Cell (Base): 22,000,000

Imperfect Cell (Life Extract of 100): 28,000,000

Imperfect Cell (Life Extract of 1000): 32,000,000

Imperfect Cell (Life Extract of 10,000): 36,000,000

Imperfect Cell (Life Extract of 100,000): 42,000,000

**Android 18b#:**

Base: 28,000,000

Base (Full Power): 36,000,000

**Gohan:**

Gohan (Base): 28,000,000

Gohan (Base-Full Power): 35,000,000

Gohan (Super Saiyan): 55,000,000

**Second Stage Cell vs. Krillin:**

**Cell:**

Imperfect Cell (Base): 42,000,000

Second Stage Cell (Android 18b absorbed): 65,000,000

**Android 18#:**

Base: 23,000,000

Base (Full Power): 28,000,000

**Krillin:**

Krillin (Base): 1,950,000


	26. Hyperbolic Time Chamber

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Hyperbolic Time Chamber_

Upon entering the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, the group of three immediately felt the difference in here compared to the world outside. The lack of oxygen and different atmosphere pressures was the first thing they felt as soon as they entered the room. When the door closed behind them, they immediately began to take in the first things they saw. Beyond the door they had walked through was a length of walk that they could use to enter what was outside this room. To their left and right were other hallways leading to different areas. Now where they stood, to the left they spotted the bathrooms and to their right was the kitchen and storage rooms. Further down, if you were to turn left, there would be one extra bathroom with sleeping quarters' on the right. The entire make up of this structure was pretty basic, carrying all of the essentials. But one question yet remained, where was the area where they could train?

Without the need to ponder these thoughts, the three of them walked down the main way towards the outside. When they stepped out from the cover of the rest and recreation area and onto an outer platform, they discovered a wide, vast area of white that stretched for miles on end. You could not tell where the floor was, but you didn't need to anyway because the floor itself was clean and flat, no obstacles, no other natural structures, just a whole lot of nothing. Goku and Piccolo inspected this momentarily, with Gohan just staring out towards the open areas. He had heard of a place like this, this room of Spirit and Time. It certainly was incredible. Who would have that that a place of nothing and instability could exist? Well, it was for training purposes anyway, so who was he to complain? To this day, he didn't have the pleasure of experiencing this chamber's effects yet. It was beyond even his comprehension, but now he could see the dimension for himself.

After a moment of breathing in the new air, Goku turned to his son and smiled. "Well Gohan, are you ready to get down to training?" his father asked. The young Saiyan didn't respond just yet. For some time he looked at the chamber on all axis': up down, left, right and behind him. This was spent harvesting all sense information he could on the entire dimension, but only from this point. In response to his father's earlier question, he then turned Goku and smiled, nodding.

"I sure am dad," he replied. Goku nodded and stretched out, stepping onto the very first surface of white. The pull of gravity came down on him, yet he didn't feel it.

"Well then…lets get started!" he exclaimed happily. Piccolo and Gohan watched him stride out into the open emptiness, both of them starting off a little slow. It was as if they were thinking what would happen if they were to step out onto the flats. A similar question was journeying through Gohan's mind.

Without even bothering to look up at Piccolo, Gohan spoke. "How far does this go for again, Piccolo?" he asked. The Namekian lowered his head, watching Goku pull out some leg stretches.

"Like Mr. Popo said: for an eternity," the Namekian replied. "The gravity increases 50 times with every mile you journey out there, and the weather as well as the atmosphere becomes ever more predictable. Who knows what you might find." Gohan nodded. His serious expression remained in play.

"Good, that's all I asked," the young Saiyan replied, stepping off the platform and taking his first stride into the white distance. He walked past his father, continuing on and on into the vast lands beyond this point. He didn't have to turn back, knowing that he would recognize the very place he had came from. If there was any a time to act impulsively, it was now.

Goku, spotting his son venturing off on his own, stood up and called to him. "Gohan! Where are you going?! It's too dangerous out there! Stay around here where it's more stable!"

Gohan stopped momentarily and turned around, smiling. "I came in here to train dad! This room presents the perfect opportunity to test myself. I'll see you in six months!" he called, waving back to his father before carrying on. Nothing happened to him as he began to slip away into the white mists, with his father, who was thrown into total shock, rushing forward and yelling after him.

"Gohan! Get back here! You won't survive out there on your own!" Goku yelled, his voice echoing. His son heard him, but said nothing and just kept walking on. Within seconds he only appeared as a dot in the distance. The older Saiyan was really starting to worry.

"He'll be fine, Goku," said Piccolo, coming up behind his friend and looking out into the distance where Gohan had disappeared into. Now he was completely out of sight, except his ki was still there. "Believe me; we've pulled through tougher scrapes then this. If I know Gohan, then he knows what he's doing."

Goku turned round to Piccolo, blinking in surprise. "B-But what can he accomplish from this? What does he plan on doing when he gets out there?" Piccolo lowered his head, eyes overshadowing.

"He's looking for something Goku, answers. It's hard for me to explain, but I'm sure it would be easier if you were in his position. From past experiences, perhaps you can see that your son is not one to rest back and take it easy," the Namekian continued. It took some time to absorb what Piccolo was giving to him. After which Goku turned back and stared off into the distance, slightly calmer then before. Though he was worried and concerned for his son's safety out there, he knew he could trust Piccolo's judgment.

"_Be careful out there son…we're all counting on you…"_

* * *

_**Meanwhile…**_

Back on earth, things were as bad as expected. Cell was mercilessly plowing through the field, pursuing Krillin who was desperately trying to keep the monster from getting at 18#. But now, after feeling the full brunt of his previous attacks, the valiant fighter was now desperately bidding time. However, he didn't know what for. All he knew is that someone had to pop up sooner or later. Who knows how much longer he could hold Cell off?

Throwing his hand back, a golden disk appeared, hovering above his palm and crackling with deadly energy. With a yell, he unleashed his attack, throwing the disk directly for the android in his sights. Cell, still in hot pursuit of his target, appeared out of thin air with a grin on his face. Seeing the disk and its speed, he knew exactly how to counter it. Throwing his right hand back, he threw it forward, unleashing a blue ki blast of some sorts. The attack shot at the disk, disintegrating it on contact and making Krillin reel over in shock. The blast shot straight for him, forcing the monk to take evasive action. Leaping away, he watched it shoot off into space, with his distraction once again leaving him open for attack. Cell charged, kneeing him straight for the side and sending him skyward. He chased, being sure to catch up with him and finish him. Within seconds, he appeared behind his opponent, arms held up and fingers locked. Then, with position set, he threw his jackhammer strike down. Krillin was conscious enough to realize where his opponent was, and just as the giant bug attacked, he quickly flipped out of the way. Despite several broken bones and bruised muscles, he was still, remarkably, fighting fit. Spinning around, he sent a roundhouse kick straight into Cell's back. The blow staggered the creature forward, but just as Krillin was coming in with another punch, Cell spun around and grabbed the fist coming at him. From here, he brought Krillin down, kneed him again and then finished off with a punch. The two way combo sent Krillin skydiving, his yell echoing all around before he crash landed. The androids on the side lines watched, not knowing what to do.

When the dust cloud settled, Krillin was revealed, lying in that stinking hole, all battered and bruised. Trembling, he tried to get up, but the incredible pain shooting through him caused him to lose balance and he fell forward again, groaning shaky moans. Opening one eye, he looked up, his vision blurring before him.

"Darn…and I thought I had him beat," he joked, chuckling to himself. "Well…I guess this is it…"

Suddenly, Cell appeared behind him, landing and glaring down at him with a smile. Reaching over, he picked Krillin up by the back collar and lifted him off the ground, pieces of rock and pebbles falling from his lifeless form. Krillin did nothing, his semi-conscious state quite obvious. Furrowing his brow at his victim, the android examined his handy work, spitting to the side with distaste. Strangely enough, he had found very little satisfaction from the bald fighter when this fight was coming to a close. And he was doing so well too. Well, all good things must come to an end, and with his eagerness down and his opponent out of commission, Cell felt for a change in the wind. Shaking Krillin's body like a toy for a bit, Cell grinned and held him up high.

"Well, thanks for the warm up, Krillin. You have served your purpose here. Now prepare to be absorbed…" Cell stated, his tail coming around and pointing directly at the monk. He knew Krillin was listening, and it just made him laugh at the thought of the fear rushing through the fighter's mind right now. A second later, his tail struck out at its target.

Just then, there was a feminine cry of range and suddenly, Cell felt a small fist impale itself across his cheek. The blow was strong, managing to stagger him as it had caught him by surprise. With the blow, he released Krillin from his grasp and his tail ended up missing its victim. A few steps back, and Cell wheeled back round. Krillin's body fell into the arms of a waiting Android 18#, the blonde haired beauty saving the previous savior and protecting him from harm. The bio android was shocked at this turn of events and scowled.

"What's this: 18# protecting Krillin? This is a sure surprise," he stated.

Android 18# looked down at Krillin with concern, holding him steady in her arms. She tilted his head at him and furrowed her brow, looking very worried. "Krillin…are you okay?" she asked. The monk, still in pain yet still conscious, opened his eyes and looked up. When he thought he had died and gone to heaven, his first thoughts was that an angel was staring down at him. When his vision cleared up, he realized who it was. With pain overwhelming his other senses and embarrassment, he just grinned up at her.

"You know me…always getting beat up…" he choked. 18# smiled, relieved none to say the least. Though his dry humor did get to her, she didn't care about that. "Thanks…" he continued.

"Hey…just returning the favor," she replied, nodding to him. "I should be thanking you, Krillin."

Krillin chuckled, but stopped when he found that five of his ribs were broken. "Ah…don't mention it…" 18# chuckled and, further adding to her relief and gratitude, bent over and gave him a tender kiss on the lips before pulling away. This seemed to shock Krillin, and all he could do as a reply was blush a bright red. The blonde haired android gazed into his eyes, transfixed in them.

Cell groaned. "Blah…all this love and affection is killing me," he stated, beginning to march over to them. 18# looked up at the android, gritting her teeth and getting up. Holding Krillin in her arms bridal style with her hand under his head, she backed away. The towering bug of a creation stopped in front of her, smiling down at her like a person over an insignificant ant, readying to squash it. "It was awfully nice of you to save your boyfriend, 18#. But I'd preferred it if you'd just stayed out of my way. Now I'm going to have to finish what I've started, and absorb the both of you instead!"

His tail came round, looming over 18# and Krillin like a basilisk, its shadow cast over them. The pair of them stared fearfully, with 18#'s body trembling the most as she backed away from her looming fate. The next thing she expected to happen was to feel the cold, sticky insides of Cell's appendage close in around her, as she watched it expand and turn into a funnel. The same thing that happened to 18b would now happen to her, and so she closed her eyes, holding Krillin close. But just as Cell was bringing it down upon both of them, he felt a blast strike him dead in the back. He responded to this sudden attack with a yell of pain, with the explosion staggering him forward.

Spinning around, he set his sights on the perpetrator. When he saw who it was, he was in greater shock then before. Floating several meters above the earth, with his right hand held out was Vegeta. The Super Saiyan warrior was glaring at him, eyes flashing and a serious expression in play. Behind him, standing a top of a plateau was Trunks. Both of them had their eyes fixated on the one true threat to this planet. Cell, identifying them on sight, gasped and stepped around, gaping.

"What? Vegeta!" he blurted.

"The name's Super Vegeta, and don't you forget it, you worthless scum!" Vegeta retorted, a smirk growing on his face. "Well Cell, we finally meet. No formal introductions are necessary, because I know all about you and your little game!" the prince continued, his tone hissing the last bit. The mighty android in his sights retracted his tail back to normal and he growled, fisting his hands and glaring hatefully up at the one who had rudely interrupted him.

"You've got some nerve coming around here, Vegeta!" he shouted. "If you know any better, you'd clear off right now. Believe me; you're messing with the wrong android!"

Vegeta chuckled. "Well, from what I see there isn't much to mess with. I expected a fiercer looking beast, but now I see it's just a green freak with a tail. HA!" the prince exclaimed. His over-confidence and smart ass attitude was getting the better of him. 18# used this opportunity to make way, clearing the area that has now become a new battleground for round three. Once she was out of the way, she turned and watched the fight, Krillin still in her arms.

"Look here Vegeta! You may not know this, but in your present state right now, you are no match for me! I know this because I've got all the data and information I need on you! It tells me that you are no match for the androids or me for that matter," the towering bug growled. Vegeta snorted.

"You think that data and information makes you physically stronger? That's highly unlikely. Let me show you the form that is going to beat you today!" the Prince stated. Balling his fists and taking a powering up stance, Vegeta began concentrating his energy inside of him. It bubbled and grew, his ki suddenly beginning to shoot up. Cell looked on with interest, feeling the ground begin to shake beneath his feet and the Saiyan Prince's energy growing with every second since he started to power up. As his energy level grew, a bright golden aura began to flicker around him. With the appearance of this warping aura, it grew fiercer and fiercer, before suddenly exploding as the concentrated energy was released. Vegeta let out a bellowing yell, his muscles suddenly buffing out and his hair becoming spikier and bearing a whiter tone. Within seconds, his transformation was complete.

Cell stepped back, eyes wide with shock as he set upon the new Vegeta floating in front of him. After a moment of looking the prince of Saiyan's over, he frowned and took a horse riding stance, glaring at his opponent bravely. After that, he saw Vegeta float down to earth, retaining his present stance and standing in the middle of his fierce glow. Looking up, he glared with a grin. It was then when he released his breath of air, letting it emerge ferocious like, a hiss that made him seem more animalistic then normal. Even the androids were shaken by the noise he made.

"Now you will witness the power of an ascended Saiyan!" Vegeta roared. In a blink of an eye, he launched himself at the android, his right fist burying deep into Cell's stomach with a bang like shock wave to follow on impact…

* * *

_**Back in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber…**_

As the minute like events on the outside world continued ticking on, weeks were passing within the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. From this point in time, things were really looking up. Goku and Piccolo had maintained a constant, steady training routine. Session after session was had, both of them being sure to work as hard as they could to exceed their present strength. Every day their power levels rose, bringing them closer and closer to the levels Trunks and Vegeta had reached. Already, because of the different atmospheres and levels of gravity in this dimension, as well as their intense training, Goku and Piccolo had managed to push themselves beyond even their own expectations. Already a month has past, and they were still going on strong.

It was just their basic day today. Piccolo was taking it easy with a quiet meditation near the platform entrance to the main building inside the dimension…the only building actually. Goku however was training hard in the open zone beyond the platform, using ki produced weights to exercise his strength while he honed in on his Martial Arts skills. Floating high above the ground, wearing only his blue gi top and orange pants (as well as the weights) the Super Saiyan fighter was flashing fast attacks through the air. Yelling at the top of his lungs with every painful blow he unleashed, the spiky haired warrior pressed on, unyielding and not letting up for one second. The weights were heavy, added on by the actual gravity he was working on.

Flashing into focus, he unleashed a fury of lightning fast punches. These blows came out in the form of blurs, with the older Saiyan unleashed an entire barrage of over 50 punches in 10 seconds. He finished it up with a elbow, hook and upper cut combo, leaping up and zapping into super speed. He began skipping across the landscapes, his golden glowing form seen hoping around over the horizon, occasionally approaching the main building but pulling out soon after. Along the way, his attacks kept on coming. Back-flipping and pulling up, he shot skywards, battling with an invisible opponent. The look of that keen warrior instinct was reflected in his eyes and off of his expression. It was obvious he needed to become as strong as possible, and at this rate, he was beyond confident, he was certain. Piccolo, who wasn't that deep in his meditative state, opened up his right eye and looked in Goku's direction. He saw the spiky haired warrior flash in and out of super speed. As a result, Piccolo's eyes shifted around left to right, keeping track with his partner's movements. Unfortunately at some points, Goku moved so fast he was out of focus most of the time. The Namekian was impressed none to say the least. Goku still had that warrior's spark in him after all, the kind of determination you would usually see in Vegeta when he trained. The guy would work himself to death.

After watching Goku continue to hone in on his strengths and skills Piccolo grunted and closed his eyes, returning to his meditation. As for the Super Saiyan warrior, he had reached the end of his hour, landing after a backward vault and landing in a defensive stance. At the conclusion of this, he brought his arms about, breathing in deeply and then out, relaxing. Closing his eyes and shaking his head, he rubbed his face with his hand and looked up, smiling.

"_Man that was awesome. I've completely forgotten what training like this is like!"_ he exclaimed to himself in his mind, rubbing the back of his head. Checking his hand to make sure he wasn't bleeding but just sweating, he sighed and looked out over the horizon of the dimension. The emptiness stretched on, with nothing to be seen for an eternity. It was upon looking out did he hope to see his son returning from his six months. But only being one month, his hopes weren't lifted a bit. His expression saddened. He couldn't sense anything, it was just all emptiness for the next many miles out there.

"_I wonder what Gohan is doing at this time…"_ he thought to himself, blinking and taking a proper standing position. _"No one has ever dared going out so far. It's murder out there. Nothing but emptiness and wide open spaces…what could he possibly find?"_

Ever since Gohan returned from his training with Piccolo for the Saiyans, his father could never fully understand his son. True, he could judge from a distance that he had changed, but this change was way too constant for his liking. Gohan was always coming back with something amazing. First you would get a hint of his incredible power, but then after a few days, it had suddenly jumped beyond even his comprehension. And as for knowledge and intelligence, Gohan continues to progress on like a machine. He was incredible. Yet, there was always something troubling the child. For some reason, Goku figured that his son knew that something bad was coming. It made him feel uneasy because his son's mood towards these new events had darkened. First there was Frieza, and then there were the androids, and now this! Something about Cell made him…well…not act his usual self. He was spacing out a bit too much, and was more serious about the situation then ever.

After a while of standing their, Goku shook his head and walked back over to the building, slipping off the weights around his wrists and flexing his arms, shaking them loose. He was certainly sore, and would be in an even worse state comes tomorrow. Well, while he would always rest whenever he got the chance, for Gohan, there was no rest for him whatsoever.

Miles beyond the main building, deep into the white abyss of the chamber, further then anyone has journeyed before; the pains experienced by the one were so great _it_ and his need to live were the only things that kept him awake. Barely hanging onto consciousness, Gohan staggered forward, taking a limp fighting stance and glaring onto the horizon. His breathing was raspy; as the oxygen here was so thin and the temperature was changing constantly he could not take it anymore. What made it worse was the fact that he was fighting himself.

Sweat and blood dripped down to the floor, immediately evaporating on contact with the floor. The young Saiyan was in a bloodied state. His clothes were torn all over, his sword and browns bags still tied to him. He trembled on the spot, panting with half-lidded eyes. His vision was blurry as he glared ahead of him, blood flowing freely from his mouth. The gravity out here was incredible. If it wasn't for his strength he would have been crushed. Taking in a few more breaths, Gohan gritted his teeth and, with a shaking body, glared up, seeing another copy of himself floating up there. The copy of himself was in a similar, wrecked state, but was still standing, unaffected. It glared down at him, his expression monotone.

After spotting his target, Gohan mustered all the strength he could and powered up, shooting up skywards. At an amazing speed, he flew at his opponent, letting out a cry of anger before being hit full on by an invisible blast. The force of the attack sent Gohan falling back, spinning out of control. Copy-Gohan had his left hand held out and down at him, the hot breeze blowing by him. Downing his opponent, he gave chase, flying after him. It was the same voodoo doll copy Gohan had used thousands of times before, and because most of the pain was coming from the copy, it was killing him on the inside. Spinning round, regaining his composure and balance, the original Gohan powered up and shot off in another direction, eyes firmly plastering themselves on the copy, who was quickly gaining ground on him. Within moments, after traveling across the flat plains, the copy reached him, throwing a powerful jab at him. Gohan turned around, blocking the ball while the two were still in mid-flight. It was here the two of them engaged in a furious battle, Gohan's fists and kicks lashing out at the copy. The defense his counterpart was putting up was strong, with his counter attacks being far more lethal. They flew on before changing course, beginning to drift upwards whilst locked in that battle. Shockwaves occurred with blows landing on each other, explosions of force ringing out everywhere. Charging up his fists so that they glowed a steady, blue, he launched himself at his copy, unleashing his assault. He showed his copy no mercy, and felt the stinging pains land all over him whenever he strong home. After a while, Copy Gohan managed to block several of the blow before cranking back his right fist and sending a hook across his face, the blow ringing in Gohan's ears and sending him floating back.

Suddenly, a hand reached out and grabbed his tattered collar, bringing him back up. The original Gohan groaned and trembled, looking up to see his copy glaring back at him. He could see into those cold, lifeless eyes the face of his one true enemy, himself. After countless hours of training, Gohan was discovering all of his weaknesses. If he couldn't beat himself, then what hope did he have of beating his opponent? The two of them stared at each other, the copy smirking a moment later before bringing back his right fist and sending it across original Gohan's face. The punch sent across his face rung in Gohan's ears. It stung and killed, just like every other blow that followed after. The copy attacked mercilessly, hammering away at his face, meshing it up. After those, he sent a knee straight up into Gohan's stomach. The young Saiyan reeled forward and vomited up blood on the copy's shirt. Even so, the mirror version of the original continued. Elbowing across Gohan's face and then hammering away with a left jab. Gohan spat out more blood, eyes shut and mouth wide as waves of pain washed over him. It was after this merciless assault the copy finished him off, bringing both his hands up and sending a jackhammer strike straight into his stomach. Gohan was sent plummeting, yelling out loud as he fell, crashing to the rock solid ground seconds later. No crater was formed, nor did any cracks appear. All that formed was a pool of red blood around his face as his own essence began seeping out onto the floor. His body trembled, the young Saiyan on the verge of unconsciousness. It was as he was lying here did he suddenly feel the ground begin to burn. The temperature increased, rising higher and higher out of nowhere. The burns hit his palms and face that were pressed up against the ground. As he pushed up, his hands started to smoke, the ground's intense heat leaving red scorch marks on his fingers and palms. He looked at his right hand, seeing blood appear from the blisters and cuts. His left hand kept him supported, waves of pain continuously flowing through it. From this, Gohan growled and clenched his fist, pushing himself up onto his feet. It was then did the temperature sharply increase to a phenomenal level. Like the sun, fire began to rage on the horizon. It came and reached him, enveloping him in its burning heart. But he stood there, unaffected. All the white around him turned into an orange blaze, going on endlessly. The weather had shifted dramatically.

Standing in the fire, Gohan's face was dipped over, his eyes and face overshadowed. His copy floated above him, also resistant against the flamers that licked at them both, reaching up high into the skies. They remained that way, silent. But then, when the fire's ferocity became greater, the original glared up, teeth gritted and anger crossing his expression. His eyes were white, showing no pupils but a deep, endless rage. As soon as he looked up, his hair spiked up and a golden aura exploded around him. The fire that was flickering around him was blown away when he transformed to Super Saiyan, his hair flashing gold and his muscle span increasing. With the emergence of his golden aura, golden bolts of lightning shot out of him with the familiar, bright, radioactive golden glow illuminating off of him. No yell emerged from him, for his transformation was instantaneous, yet explosive. With that moment, he had reached full power.

Spinning around, the original Gohan glared up at his copy, his eyes now filled with his teal toned pupils, both shining brightly. The copy saw his transformation and, in kind, transformed as well. His transformation was as intense, but didn't have as much of a dramatic entrance. As soon as they were both Super Saiyan, the original Gohan turned around, aura burning ferociously. Ever so suddenly, they felt a field of gravity fall upon them. Although the fire continued to rage around them, the two Gohan's felt a huge shift in the gravity. The gravity came in so suddenly with incredible force, making them fist their hands and strengthen their stances to keep their positions. The pressure was intense, all of it laid down on them. Then, with the feel of the increase of gravity, Gohan flew up. With a yell of power, he shot at his copy, throwing his right fist directly up at his face. The blow landed, knocking the copy senseless as well as him, the pain flooding to him like water through a pipe. Then, after regaining their composures, the two of them engaged in a furious brawl. Still in focus for they were unable to move through super speed, they both pummeled each other mercilessly. Their shadows could be seen, floating through the raging flames and flying at one another, throwing devastating blows and breaking off, flying through the fires before locking fists again. Gohan's yells were heard in the emptiness, echoing into the distance. As he fought on, his energy level grew, growing and growing. The next time they reached each other, Gohan received a punishing jab across his cheek, before he countered with a kick straight up into his copy's stomach. The two blows were tremendous, the two of them pushing off of each other and coming to floating amongst the burning grounds. The fire blew around them, their aura still flashing. The original Gohan's warping energy could be identified easily, as well as himself. He was the only one with the sword and brown bags, as well as the aura with golden electricity and radioactive glow around him. The copy was always calm, his expression always serious, showing no exhaustion or care in the world for injury. The two of them were cold, hard as steel at this level.

Then, after a stand off amongst the flames, Gohan let out a yell and, bringing his right hand around, threw it forward. His yell echoed with the massive blast that shot out of his palm, lighting up the area and blasting straight through the fire, which parted at the attack's launch. Copy Gohan retaliated, bringing both his palms up to his forehead. From here, he threw them forward, firing another familiar attack of gold with as much ferocity as the last. The blue, _Daisenko_ blast collided with the golden _Masenko_ attack, both of them hitting with equal force and starting up a blast tug of war that looked as though it would be going on without end. The pulsing attacks burned intensely, digging into each other as both fighters poured their energy into their attacks. The ground shook with the fires around the attacks seemingly insignificant under the strength of the power they both displayed. Lightning shot down from the skies, joining the burning flames and creating an electric field around the two attacks. The original Gohan bit tooth and tail to keep his energy flowing, grabbing his right arm's wrist with his left and taking a firmer stance, the waves of energy he unleashed and poured into the attack growing to a level he could barely handle. But then, after both fighters had reached their limits, they broke through it, firing off a last ditch effort energy pump through the blasts, which reached the spear ends and exploding with atomic like magnitude. An radius of 10 kilometers erupted, as if a hydrogen bomb had just gone off. The sky lit up with a series of fiery explosions, with one major one taking place right where it started. This one, fiery mushroom shaped explosion dwarfed them all, sending gales of wind in all directions. It was so big, that Goku and Piccolo, who were hundreds of miles away, felt the galling winds reach them and the flash on the horizon. Shock was written on their faces when they saw this, and felt the power radiating off of this explosion. It was far beyond what they could produce. Gohan was really pushing himself to the extreme.

Back to the scene where the explosion took place, you could still see the two Gohan's floating in the raging, burning area. The explosion had done nothing to shift the weather, but the damage done to both of them was incredible. The original Gohan's gi top had been completely torn away, revealing his ripped body underneath. His was pure muscle; however his skin burnt, scarred and bruised everywhere. A similar occurrence had happened to the other Gohan, except only an entire half of his top had been torn away, leaving him with a bleeding, broken arm. The other Gohan still had his sword and brown bags, but his pants were torn everywhere. An entire section of his right leg was gone, leaving that side in short state. The other side had the entire knee area ripped away with other tears and damages. Least can be said about the copy Gohan. The only thing the two were in the same state was that they were both floating in their auras, fire flickering heavily around them.

With the moment over, they both flew at each other, elbows locking and colliding, a shock wave ringing out. Then the two of them engaged in a fierce, powerful brawl. Fists connected, kicks struck home and all attacks landed with great efficiency. Although the copy Gohan received many of the blows, the original Gohan suffered the most. When he struck his copy in the gut with a particular upper cut, he suddenly choked and coughed up blood and saliva, his eyes shutting tightly from the pain he felt. After recovering, the copy Gohan used this opportunity to strike. He slammed a powerful kick across the original's face, a massive bruise appearing. Gohan staggered to the side, his aura disappearing but still remaining in Super Saiyan. Panting heavily, he looked up, teeth gritted and more blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. He also had a lot coming from a cut at the top of his forehead. His face was almost painted completely with his own wounds. The copy Gohan gritted his teeth as well, floating towards Gohan in a slow motion charge, left hand pulled back and fisted. With a yell, he threw the punch directed at the original, the fist flying through the air. But then, when it seemed it would hit, Gohan reached up and caught it in his palm, holding it their firmly and unmoved.

The two of them held their positions there, nothing happening just yet. But then, with an echoing yell, Gohan golden aura suddenly erupted once more around him, his grip tightening around his copy. His aura, this time, was ten times as fierce as before, blue bolts of electricity shooting out of him. The warping energy was so fierce and so bright, that the amazing changes that happened to the young Saiyan weren't even noticed. The Gohan copy was looking at his creator in shock, backing away when his fist was released. His eyes reflected the new Gohan's image, blue lightning shooting straight out at him and barely missing him. In his eyes, the copy Gohan didn't just see a regular Super Saiyan Gohan, but a Super Saiyan with spiky hair standing straight on end, slightly bigger muscles and turquoise, toned eyes that showed an incredible amount of anger in them.

The moment his arms returned to the side, his hands fisted, the original, newly powered up Gohan suddenly flew at his copy, the very start of his approach going off with a bang. He ripped through the air, floating up a bit to gain height and then sent an effortless kick across his copy's face. The blow was ten times stronger than a full power punch from him in Super Saiyan. The copy was staggered from the blow, knocked senseless. Suddenly, the original Gohan then came in with a swift, left jab across his face, then a right hook, and then a left upper cut. The attacks came in sharp and fast, the last one knocking the copy floating back, reeled over with his hands crossed over his gut. He then looked up, teeth gritted and looking pained. It was just then the original Gohan held out his right hand directly at the copy's face, unleashing a ki blast that consumed the copy and blew him away in one mighty flash of light and explosion. This one, though not as strong as the last, lit up the area, blinding everything of sight.

For a few minutes, everything was just white, but then, it was realized that the flash had already died and we return to gazing out onto the open flats. Orange sparks rained down from the sky, hitting the flat ground, bouncing and disappearing. Looking up, you could see the original Gohan just floating there, standing in a regular position and glaring out onto the horizon. His back was turned with his form glowing in a fierce aura, with blue electricity flickering around him. It was an incredible side, and his hair, once a light yellow, was now a darker shade of gold, was really spiky now with more strands and standing on end, pointing upwards. To add to it, you could make out a single bang of hair hanging in front of his face. But before you could get any more of a description off of him, the power surrounding him vanished, and he returned to normal form. With the fall of his energy, the young Saiyan suddenly fell out of the sky, crashing to the ground sprawled out.

The young Saiyan was unconscious before he even hit the ground. From here, he would rest, until he woke up that is…

* * *

_**Back outside…**_

_**An hour later…**_

It seemed as though victory was assured for Vegeta and the Z-fighters. He was easily making short work of Cell ever since he started this battle. And it has been carrying on for some time now. With Mirai, Krillin and the androids hanging back, they watched as the Saiyan Prince mercilessly pummeled Cell into a pulp. Krillin was back on his feet again thanks to a Senzu beans Trunks had given him, and was as awe inspired as the rest of the group. The fight had dragged across the island, practically demolishing it. Plateaus crumbled before the mighty duo and fists flew. Well, Vegeta's did, Cell could barely land a single blow. Bit by bit he was picked apart, not even given a chance to rest.

The fight was taken to so many places from land to the sky, and even into the sea. Not needing to breathe, the two of them were easily able to maneuver under water. But most of the time the two of them fought above the water's surface. By the time Cell realized he was completely out classed, a greater desire to absorb one of the androids grew, in order to gain his perfect form and beat Vegeta back. But he was going to find a lapse in Vegeta's assault was the problem.

Hurling across the wide open space, Vegeta used super speed to gang up on Cell in two seconds flat, reaching the towering android and sending a powerful punch straight into his stomach. The blow staggered Cell, a shock wave rebounding off of the walls and cliffs around them. Vegeta yanked his fist out of the bug's belly and flew up, sending a powerful roundhouse kick across his face. This one knocked Cell flying, spinning out of control and crashing into a boulder. It crumbled beneath him, an imprint of the bio-logical freak imprinted in the earth. After groaning from the pain and recovering from those blows in outstanding record time, he got to his feet and took a defensive stance. With purple blood leaking out of the corner of his mouth, Cell wiped it away and growled, teeth gritted.

"Impossible!" he shouted. "He's faster and stronger! This can't be! My design is superior!" the android growled. Vegeta chuckled where he stood now, arms at his sides. He was smirking at the bulky, cumbersome fighter, seeing him stand where he was in that weakened stance.

"Well, come on then, Cell!" Vegeta called. "Let's see what you can really do. I'm done warming up!"

Cell growled and clenched his fists, taking a powering up stance. His ki went up, but stayed at its limit where it would always be. "You! YOU! Vegeta! You are nothing to me! I am the ultimate warrior, the most powerful being in the universe! If you want to see what I can do! FINE!" Pulling back his right fist, he suddenly threw it forward, palm opening up.

With throwing his hand forward, the android unleashed a bellowing blast. The golden attack shot across the field, directly for Vegeta. Unfazed by how large it was and how fast its approach was, the Ultra Super Saiyan warrior merely held out his right palm and responded with a blast of his own. His attack merely struck the very spear end of Cell's attack, tearing it to shreds as it cut straight through it. When it did so, it continued on for the opposing blast's owner, knocking Cell full on and exploding. This sent the bio warrior flying back, tossing and turning in the galling winds out of control before coming to a crash landing, skidding across the ground and lying on his hands and knees. Coughing and choking, the infuriated warrior glared ahead of him, trembling violently with anger. His fists clenched tightly with his nails cutting into his palms. His own blood dripped onto the ground as he got to his feet, tail waving madly behind him.

"That's it! He's so dead!" he roared, spinning around. When he did so, he caught a whiff of a small ki ball fired by the might Super Saiyan. This, followed by a barrage of others, repeatedly struck him in the stomach, knocking him staggering back and reeled over. After continuous attacks had impacted against his stomach, Cell looked up, quite winded from this assault. When he did, he met the fist of an incoming Vegeta. This blow knocked him staggering, allowing the Saiyan Prince to keep up his assault and hammer all sorts of blows onto the android.

Krillin cheered. "Yeah! That's the way! Give it to him!" he shouted. Mirai, who was standing by his friend and paying no attention to the androids behind him merely nodded with a smile,

"There's no doubt, my father will beat this monster once and for all…"

Finishing his assault with an uppercut to Cell's stomach, Vegeta then kneed him in the chin and sent him back with a powered up hook. These blows struck home, knocking his opponent back where he tumbled along the ground before coming to a stop. When he did, Cell got onto his hands and knees, and sensing his opponent behind him, flung his tail at him. The Saiyan Prince was too quick however, and grabbed the androids tail before spinning him around. With a growl of effort, Vegeta flung him into the sky and then pursued. Powering up, with his aura on full flare, he brought his right fist back and sent it across Cell's face. The smack was all that was needed for Cell, to stop. But unfortunately for him, he fell under another direct assault by the prince, who hammered blows away into his gut before being side kicked away. Flying for several yards, the winded Cell stopped and then hurled at his opponent again, fast! With a yell of rage, he threw a right punch, only to get kneed then axe kicked, sending him plummeting to the ground. Within seconds, he crashed once more.

Vegeta snuffed, smirking wildly. "Pitiful. I'll end his suffering now!" The Prince growled, raising his right hand up. Cell, feeling Vegeta's ki rising at the incoming of another attack, pushed himself up and then glowered to his right. There, standing by the tree he saw the androids and the other two Z-fighters standing there, watching the fray go on. Well, it was about to end soon if he didn't act now.

When he noticed the amount of time being put into Vegeta's attack in order for him to gather the necessary amount of energy, Cell used this as an advantage. He had to act fast! With a grin, Cell threw his hand towards the group underneath the tree and fired a red, high powered energy ball. The attack flew straight at the group at high speeds, a concentrated power source alerting the group of how devastating it was, not even Trunks would be able to block it in time. The group scattered, Trunks and Krillin breaking off to the right whereas the androids shot to the left, even 16#. Vegeta spotted this and was surprised none to say the least.

The scattered androids were Cell's new targets. He flew at them, aiming for Android 18#. Within seconds, he reached his targets, everyone who saw his approach watching in shock and unable to do nothing. Then, as 18# came within range, Cell's tail opened up to full, aimed directly toward her. He threw it at her, intent on absorbing her then and there. She screamed, closing her eyes. But just as it seemed she was going to be absorbed, an unlikely comrade jumped in.

"LOOK OUT SIS!" 17# shouted, pushing her out of the way. Cell and the others were shocked, Vegeta ceasing the charging of his attack right then and there. In that split second, 17# was clamped by the tail and sucked in. The bulge of his body within the appendage journeyed down all the way and with in seconds, vanished into Cell's body. Everything happened so quickly.

By the time everyone landed, 18#, 16#, Krillin and Trunks, they watching in horror as Cell underwent his final transformation. Like before, the monster dropped into a powering up stance and, instantaneously, a green energy field shot up around him, sparkling with electricity. The very appearance of the shield sent a mind boggling shock wave exploding all around them. It was so great it even struck Vegeta, who was just as shocked as everyone else. Before anyone could act, the transformation was under way…

* * *

_**Back in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber…**_

As the events on the outside world continued (and note that they were growing worse), inside the Room of Spirit and Time everything was continuing as usual. Months had passed, and within this time, the three fighters had progressed along splendidly, reaching new levels of power. Most of the time was spent training, with very little moments spent resting up. Well, that didn't work with Gohan, who was stuck in the middle and almost the very heart of the Time Chamber. Goku and Piccolo were continuously resting up, recovering and returning to training.

That sort of thing worked for Gohan as well, who had to take a Senzu Bean almost every hour and rest up before continuing five minutes later. He was constantly training, fighting for his life. But after five months out there, he quickly got used to it. The sudden changes in the weather and atmosphere he quickly learned to endure. Plus the training sessions he had, fighting against the fields of gravity that continued to fall on top of him was also one of the things he had to deal with as well. Then there was shadow sparring with extra weights, fighting against a copy of himself and then just plain skill practice sessions. Everything else was mostly strength increasing exercises, however he still had to hone in on his techniques. Every time he completed a whole three hours of meditation under ice cold, burning hot or just regular temperatures, he jumped to going through his Wushu, Shao Lin and other martial arts styles, pacing through the steps one after another. He would also practice with artificial weapons he could create, such as: spears, three-section-staffs, guanduos, light swords, heavy blades, kunai, shuriken, knives, jians, daos etc. Other then that, he would also use his own sword. He worked tirelessly on strengthening himself, continuing to push it to the limit without any concern for his safety. No pain, no gain.

Goku was also working hard with Piccolo. They never ventured too far out into the dimension, not wanting to endure the intense gravity that neither could endure. Whenever possible the two would try and trace Gohan, but were unsuccessful because the child has masked his ki as a precaution, so not to worry the two or allow them to find him. He could very well train on his own, as was proven. Nevertheless, Goku would push himself as far as he could, with Piccolo training with him or watching while in meditation. The Saiyan's strength was increasing just as fast as Piccolo's, making him stronger then ever before.

In the middle of nowhere, deep within the depths of the Room of Spirit and Time, a power was growing. Under the glow of a thousand auroras produced by the Time Chamber (Because it was night time now), Gohan trained hard. The only problem was that he was nowhere to be seen. All there was was an ice filled landscape, as if hell had just frozen over. There were pillars and mountains of ice everywhere, hail and snow falling at the same time during this common Weatherly phenomenon inside the chamber. For some strange reason, all of this seemed to circle at a point. Spiraling closer and closer to the centre, you could see that the ice had moved up into a funnel, towering thousands of meters above the surface of the chamber. It was here where the problem lay.

Beams of blue light suddenly began to shoot out of the frozen spiral, cracks forming from a point about 50 stories above the ground. The beams of light shone brightly, a heat spot appearing at the same point the lights were coming out. Within seconds, the entire area around the centre had cracked. In a show of force and power, the pillar exploded, ice falling in the form of hail, shards and snow as the person the cause of this icy formation was revealed. Gohan, showing his full power in base form, floated on the spot, still bearing new battle scars and old battle scars from all of his training. Gritting his teeth, he wheeled around, watching as a cluster of icy particles whirled through the air and flew at him. The storm of low temperatures, no doubt another natural disaster produced by the dimension, was targeting him primarily. It was strange to have a blizzard following you around everywhere.

Crossing his arms, Gohan then uncrossed them sharply, pumping his energy level up so that an aura burst up around him. The blast of his energy reverberated, shaking the entire area around him. The blizzard struck his blue aura and parted, chopped apart by the warping energy. The wind blew past him, allowing Gohan to relax. However, as soon as his aura vanished, ice began to form and climb as the temperature suddenly plummeted. As it dropped, more ice formed and climbed, heading towards him. Gritting his teeth, the young Saiyan flew up, trying to climb to an altitude out of reach. However, the ice continued to climb towards him, the icicles forming like hands grabbing out for him. But he was just out of reach. Seeing as that it would not stop there, Gohan took a new course of action. Fanning his fingers, he crossed his arms again, one hand on each side. He then fisted them, blue beams of energy shooting out of the spaces in both hands. Then, with a yell, he threw both hands forward, the energy breaking up into a shower of shards. The energy shards fell towards the ice, and as soon as they struck, they erupted into a bellowing series of fiery explosions. The spiritual blasts melted the ice, turning it into water which helped melt the ice underneath. With a hiss, all the ice was melted away, leaving Gohan floating high and watching the show below. Within seconds, all ice sculptures were gone with the wind…

Gohan continued to glare, his all battered and bruised but no blood. He may have taken a beating, but it was nothing compared to most days. Suddenly, just as it seemed the weather was back to being controlled, everything around him suddenly transformed into another storm system. Out of nowhere, high winds began to pick up, followed by the formation of a huge hurricane above him. It was so big; the auroras floating high above him were sucked into it, with smaller, tornado like funnels making their appearance. They ripped across the ground, though not really damaging anything but presenting quite a dangerous obstacle to cross. Gohan once again felt the gravity increase, and he gritted his teeth, glaring up at the storm. He saw blue lightning bolts shoot out of the clouds, ripping past and through him. When a bolt of electricity streaked past him, he growled and took a powering up stance. His aura exploded around him, possessing the same fury and deadliness as the storm that had just erupted. He glared up at the clouds and hurricane and screamed.

"COME ON!!! DO YOUR WORST!!!" he yelled. The storm answered his call as several bolts of lightning shot down at him. He yelped and leapt out of the way, avoiding them. As if attacking the young Saiyan, more lightning bolts were sent at him. Courtesy of the non-existent Zeus, the strength of the winds and gravitational fields increased, the atmosphere thinning out, leaving a very unstable environment.

Gohan flew around, avoiding every single lightning bolt thrown at him. The cheap shots of the high voltage currents were really getting too close for comfort, so Gohan took it up a notch. As he journeyed deeper into the unknown where the storm was at its fiercest, he powered up, raising his energy so that he broke into Super Saiyan. With his new found strength, his speed, endurance and strength was at a all new high. Growling in anger, Gohan spun around, avoiding seven shots of lightning. When he sensed a tornado suddenly making its way towards him, he brought his right hand about, ball of golden energy forming. With a yell, he ditched it, using the momentum of his spin. The ball of energy soared at the tornado, entering it and exploding. The winds were ripped to pieces by the explosion, but thanks to it, the debris of what was thought to be thick pieces of wind turned out to be energy enhanced razor wind. They flew in all directions, several of them cutting across Gohan's body. The young Saiyan yelped in pain, spinning as he hurled back down to the ground where the real danger was. Seeing his fall in altitude, he quickly recovered and pulled up, just as a few more bolts of lightning came down at him, missing him.

After his pull up, Gohan leveled and flew directly for another tornado. This one was heading towards him as well. As though it were challenging Gohan, the storm sent several bolts of lightning into the large tornado, increasing its size and transforming it into a vortex of electricity. Gohan growled, bringing his right hand back and charging up a new attack. The blue ball forming in his palm increased in size, golden bolts of electricity surrounding it. The tornado in front of him neared. Just as it came into lethal range, Gohan launched his attack, screaming, "DAISENKO HAAAAA!!!" The massive blue blast that shot out of his hand connected with the tornado. In a amazing display of lights and reactive explosions, the vortex exploded, sending sparks and energy razor wind remains everywhere. Gohan avoided all the sparks and several of the razor wind debris, only getting cut several times across the back, shoulder and left leg. He cringed, but kept on going.

Bringing himself up to a new level, he watched in the distance as the eye of the storm continued to spin around, producing more and more tornados. Gohan furrowed his brow at it, knowing that it had to be the cause of this. In order for him to survive, he needed to destroy it. So, powering up, with his aura flaring, he shot for the eye at full speed. The storm, seemingly having a mind of its own, spotted his approach and began taking measures, creating obstacles in which he could cross. It produced two more tornados in front of him, the funnels moving towards him. All the while, the gravity increased ten fold and more winds were produced. Gohan gritted his teeth and used all his strength to pull up when the force of gravity began working against him. Using his best efforts, he avoided one of the tornados and, charging up another energy blast, sent it into the second, destroying it. The shower of razor wind was easily avoided, with Gohan blocking several more with his sword. He slashed out, destroying them before sliding his weapon back into its sheath. Spinning back round, Gohan flew on, on towards the eye. Seeing the young Saiyan fast approaching, the eye sent powerful lightning bolts at Gohan, deciding to challenge the child itself. Gohan saw the strikes flying at him as if they were ki blasts, but far more lethal. In response, the young Saiyan charged up an energy field, plowing through the attacks as if they were nothing then lowering it. It wasted energy to keep it up, but whatever the case, he flew on.

More lightning bolts were sent at him, these ones appearing more like giant sparks then actual streams. Gohan prepared, pulling both hands back then throwing them forward. His _Scattered Volley Shot_ came into play, hitting the lightning bolts and exploding, leaving a clear path for Gohan once more. Just as Gohan flew through the smoke produced by the explosions, another bolts of lightning suddenly shot towards him, this one catching the young Saiyan off guard. Taking this as yet another challenge, Gohan prepared and held his right hand out, extending his index and middle finger. The lightning bolt struck going into him. Then, using his mastery over energy and life, the young Saiyan moved the lightning bolts down then up and threw his finger back up into the clouds. The lightning bolt shot out of his left arm through his two fingers, striking the sky and exploding with incredible magnitude. With a smirk, Gohan flew on, turning back to his original task. It was then when the eye unleashed its most devastating barrage yet. Flashes of more lighting came, followed by rains of razor wind. Gohan yelled in shock, getting hit full on by the blasts of wind and cut up by the energy razors. The bolts of lightning came at him too, with the young Saiyan trying his best to avoid them all. He yelped whenever lightning grazed him and was nearly knocked unconscious when another shot struck him clean in his side. Falling, the young Saiyan became victimized by the storm, nearly sent reeling into unconsciousness.

Opening his eyes, he looked up into the storm, seeing it throwing everything it had at him mercilessly. It was through this, Gohan replaced the storm with Cell, seeing him raining his own attacks on him. Through this nightmarish vision, filled with death and destruction of his friends and family, he became enraged. He was not going to give up yet. So, powering up, and with a howl of rage, he powered up, transforming and reaching his final, newly acquired form. After months of training, he was able to gain control of this form. Though he wasn't for sure what it was, he was sure it was the ascended Saiyan form Vegeta and Trunks had reached. So, with that power up, he blew away all the attacks the storm sent his way and shot clear up, straight into the eye. Easily avoiding the incoming onslaught of lightning bolts and razor wind blasts, he reached level with the actual storm, the whiteness above it stretching on endlessly.

As soon as he was level, he powered up, throwing his hands and legs out. Concentrating his energy, he then released it in one, mighty burst. The result was a massive, golden energy field that appeared and expanded around him, crackling with blue and golden electricity. With the explosive entrance of his attack on the storm, it took out the eye and stopped the circling winds that created the hurricane. Almost instantaneously, the storm system disappeared, leaving nothing, not even a trace of cloud. It was still pretty misty though.

With the close of the storm and his power output continuing, Gohan sighed and powered down. He was relieved it was over now, but one good look at himself told him he needed to heal. Grabbing the bag around his waist, he took out a Senzu Bean and popped it into his mouth. Chewing it, and swallowing it, his wounds immediately healed. However, there was still several battle scars still imprinted on his bare body, which made him more intimidating. He easily fixed this by creating a new gi, replacing his old one and covering himself.

Floating down to the ground, feeling the high gravity stick, the young Saiyan decided it was time for a break from physical training and move on to mental training. Crossing his arms and legs, he lifted himself off the ground using his ki, and immediately he went on to meditate.

* * *

_**Meanwhile…**_

"FINAL FLASH!!!" Vegeta roared, his hands cupped forward and golden electricity shooting around it. With the sound of his yell, a massive, golden blast exploded from his hands, ripping through the skies and flying straight for its set target. Tearing up the ground beneath it, the powerful attack's path was marked by a deep entrenchment, debris and rubble flying. The galling force winds and the heat hit the earth and scorched it, while blowing outwards fiercely. 18#, 16# and Krillin could barely keep their footing.

The Prince's attack shot through the air before colliding with a distant plateau, demolishing it as it exploded with atomic like force. The shockwaves that came of this were far greater then what the Z-fighters counted on, the very forces breaking the island in two. With a fiery mushroom cloud appearing in the air, it seemed as though Vegeta's attack had succeeded. But then, as the Saiyan Prince was lowering his guard, and checking to see if his attack succeeded, a figure suddenly flashed in front of him, and sent a powerful elbow straight into his gut. The already winded Ultra Super Saiyan was knocked senseless by the blow before being slammed away with a roundhouse kick. The fighter zapped out of focus before any real details about him could be made and, in Vegeta's path, he reappeared, kneeing him in the side before elbowing him in the back. This two-way, knock out combination sent the shocked Super Saiyan falling. He crashed straight into the earth, forming a deep imprint of himself. The once powerful Saiyan had now been crushed.

The mysterious foe that had attacked him was, with no doubt, Cell. Only this time, he was in a completely different state. His absorption of Android 17# was all that was needed to give him that final push to a new stage, completing his evolution. Now in this form, he was completely unstoppable. The changes that were noticeable on him were of a grand scale. His once bulky body had been redefined, giving him a warrior like appearance. He was slightly smaller then before, but was still pretty tall. His once dark green, black spotted skin was replaced with light green exo-skeletal skin with dark green blotches. His shoulders, chest pegs, shin-gastro areas, wings and upper back were colored black. His feet, still shaped like boots, were yellow in color, and his once noticeable tail had retracted under his black wings, attributes added to his form. His cranium and crown remained its same 'V' shape, only with different colorations. The same lining that framed his face were yellow as well, with red streaks on the inner edges of the yellow frames. But his face, his face had changed a lot. It had defined itself into a human face, but was as hideous and as sinister as ever. It was light grey skin with a proper nose, mouth, eyes and teeth. His irises were pink, and his pupils were black. If that weren't enough, his power had skyrocketed to an unbelievable magnitude. He was plowing through Vegeta and Trunks as if they were nothing.

Seeing Vegeta downed, the mighty android saw his once blonde hair turn back to its normal coloration, and his ki level dropped. Soon, it was just flickering on the very edge of life. However, because of his durability as a Saiyan, he was just knocked unconscious. The android smirked as he drifted in place. "Well Vegeta, I must say that I am impressed," Cell exclaimed, his voice improved to suit that of a very mature, gentleman like fighter. But it was still laced with a tone that sent chills down everyone's spine. "However, as you have witnessed, my power far exceeds your own now. Even with your most powerful attacks, your efforts to stay in the game are useless!" the android laughed.

Just as he was floating there, he heard a yell coming from a side and a massive power surge approach. Turning, he saw Mirai Trunks shooting at him, blazing in his new, ascended Saiyan form. His muscle span had increased in size and mass on a grand scale, and his hair, once braided into a pony tail, had broken up, forming a mop of spiky, blonde hair a top of his head. He looked really terrifying in that form, but for a fact of a few weaknesses in his state, meant that his look was nothing to be afraid of.

As soon as he spotted Trunks appear, Cell easily ducked and slid under the right, straight punch the time traveling warrior sent at him. Missing his target, Mirai wheeled around and jabbed out with yet another attack, suddenly seeing Cell faze out of focus and disappear into super speed. Frustrated, Mirai gave chase, disappearing into super speed as well and pursuing his opponent. Moments later, shock waves rang out throughout the sky, taking no pattern or any similar form. It just came, either simultaneously or at different times. Some time later, the two fighters appeared once more, Trunks lashing out at his opponent with powerful punches and kicks that were basic and thoroughly unleashed. Blow after blow was sent, but Cell easily avoided each and every one of them, a smile on his face. He watched the frustration in Mirai's face grow, slowly transforming into blind rage, to which he started lashing out at without any thought of what he was doing. Cell backed away, avoiding all his punches before he forward flipped over him when Trunks attacked with a side kick. After leaping over his opponent, he turned around and drifted back. From here, he watched Mirai turn to his side and throw his right hand towards him. When he did, a golden, powerful ki blast shot out at Cell, hurling through the air without a hint of stopping.

The android swatted it away like an annoying fly. He then realized that Trunks was firing an entire barrage of ki blasts. These golden, streaking, highly concentrated attacks soared through the air one after another, hooking around and attempting to overdo Cell's defensive barrier. Unfortunately for Trunks, Cell was far smarter and faster then that to be beaten by insignificant attacks like that. The blasts came without stopping; until Cell decided he would have to put a stop to it himself. The boredom was killing him faster then Trunks was. After knocking away one last blast, the android pointed his left hand out at Trunks, index and middle finger held out and, in a split second, fired a narrow, green energy beam directly for the time traveler. The lightning fast attack struck Trunks in the shoulder, burning a hole and knocking him staggering. After which, Cell fired several more, an entire barrage being fired with all attacks hitting its target in all sighted places. With his opponent knocked off balance, Cell raised his fingers up, charging up a stronger beam this time and then throwing it forward. The thicker, narrow beam hit Trunks squarely in the forehead, exploding and leaving a third degree scorch mark smack bang, right in the face. Mirai growled, gripping his forehead and shaking, his aura still flaring fiercely.

Seeing his opponent's lapse in attention, Cell charged, appearing in front of him instantly. He left hook Trunks right across the face then sent a powerful, right upper cut into his stomach. The young warrior was winded from that swift combination. After that, the mighty android kneed him clean in the chin with his left leg, easily staggering him. His endurance was far greater then Vegeta's, so he recovered faster. But right after he had regained his composure, Cell appeared above him, flipping over backwards and sending a kick right into his opponent's back. The blow dropped Trunks faster then a bomb, with the warrior crashing to the earth and leaving a fine crater. Pushing himself back onto his hands and knees, Mirai gritted his teeth and growled, feeling the pain of the blows coursing through him.

"_Darn him! W-Why…why can't I hit him!"_ he growled.

"This is bad," Krillin said on the sidelines, watching Trunks stagger to his feet, stumbling around a bit.

"He's stronger then Cell, but why isn't he beating him?" 18# asked.

"The combined strengths of Vegeta and Trunks aren't enough to outmaneuver Cell, and that is a certainty," 16# stated, catching the group's attention. Krillin and the blonde haired android looked up at their comrade, seeing him standing there with his right hand on his left shoulder, sparks sizzling from the injury in his head. The red haired giant nodded. His right eye flickered with readouts projected by his visual sensors. "Above the two Saiyans, Cell outclasses both. He has superior speed, strength and knowledge of fighting styles and techniques. By using these to influence him in his battles, he is easily able to overthrow his attackers, frustrating them into attacking blindly out of anger before countering with a deadly resolve."

Krillin blinked, still a little confused but surprised. "B-But how can he beat Trunks when he's obviously weaker then him…"

"Strength isn't all that matters in a fight," 16# stated in response. "Because of Trunks' constant power ups, his muscle span increases due to strength. However he is sacrificing too much speed to gain that extra power. Also, because of his building in strength, his fatigue level grows, eventually weakening him more then it actually strengthens him. Vegeta realized this flaw in his transformation, and so did not exceed the form he presented to us in battle. Even so, it still wasn't enough…" the android stated, pointed out the unconscious Vegeta.

Trunks trembled, glaring up. His aura had died as soon as he was struck by his opponent's combination, leaving him in a weakened state. As he was regaining his composure, he saw Cell land in front of him, smiling confidently as his eyes cast down at the young warrior. After seeing Cell land, Mirai glowered at him, his serious expression lowering to confusion and anger.

"H-How can you beat me?" Cell chuckled at the question, crossing his arms.

"I thought you would know," the android replied. "But then again, even if you did you still wouldn't be able to beat me. With your father down and you unable to carry on like you were before, I'm afraid that you're finished."

Trunks gulped, lowering his head a little. He considered what was said to him quickly, growing steadily more aware of his exhaustion. After a long fight alongside his father following Cell's transformation, they were both sure that they could win. But now, in the light of this scene, Trunks had lost all hope and confidence. His mind whirled, wondering if he should continue, or just stop. The android was just standing their, smirking, just daring for him to strike. Well, that wasn't going to happen. The Saiyan youth powered down, returning to his normal form.

"You're right," Mirai stated, looking down at his feet. "I-I've…failed…"

Cell looked questionably at Trunks, eyes flickering. Still smiling, the android raised his right hand towards him, fingers stretching out and palm readying itself. "You give up too easily Trunks. But unlike your father, you do have common sense when thrown into this situation. After being tormented for so many years in your time, I shouldn't be surprised." Trunks looked up. He scowled and sweated, from both nervousness and exhaustion. The fatigue from his transformation had finally reached him, and he was spent. Cell however, became interested in one particular question that circled around the boy, as well as his unconscious father.

Before he could even start powering up a final, finishing move, Cell stopped short and looked over at the grey haired fighter. "I…am curious though. Enlighten me; how did you ever get so strong in such a short amount of time? By my calculations you and your father shouldn't even be at this level of power, strength and skill," Cell stated, catching Mirai's ears and attention. "Not so long ago you couldn't even hold your own against Android 17#, and he was a proton compared to me. One day…it only took you one day to grow this powerful! How did you do it?"

Trunks glowered at him, not knowing where or what Cell was getting at. "Why should I tell you? We shouldn't even be talking for all I know." Cell smirked.

"You've got attitude, I can easily see that. No doubt something you picked up from your father's side," Cell exclaimed. "So you don't want to talk about that then…very well. But answer me this. If I were to give you some more time, could you get stronger?"

Trunks furrowed his brow. This was really confusing. "Perhaps…if you were to give me a chance…"

Cell chuckled, lowering his hand. "Ah yes, very interesting!" he exclaimed. "Well, you've certainly captured my attention!" Trunks raised an eyebrow at this, surprised by Cell's upbeat in mood. "If what you are saying is true, then perhaps a tournament…!"

"What?!" Trunks replied.

"Yes: a martial arts competition…a test of strength, skill, agility and endurance!" Cell declared, pointing at the boy. "I'm going to let you live through today young warrior, for I shall be setting up a martial arts tournament! This competition will pit me against the best this planet can offer! Winner takes all!" Trunks blinked, really surprised by this announcement.

"A tournament?" Cell grinned, eyes flickering.

"Of course," he replied. "This tournament shall be held in ten days from now!" the android stated, holding up both hands and showing five fingers on each hand, indicating ten days. "Ten days…that's the amount of time you have to live…then you will fight me. Whatever you do in between now and then I don't care. But just remember…I'll be waiting. See to the television networks for all the details. I shall be making my World Wide announcement from there. Tell your friends…tell them to prepare…"

Trunks stepped forward, holding up a hand just as Cell turned his back on him. "Wait! What exactly is this all about?! What can you possibly accomplish from this?" Cell sniggered, glancing over his shoulder.

"Not much…I just want to suck whatever fun this planet has left out of it before I blow it up! It's nothing personal…it's just my nature!" Cell exclaimed. With a salute, he gave one last smirk before taking off, leaving Trunks with the information and the rest of the group in total states of shock.

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_

* * *

_**Power levels:**_

**(Battle with Cell):**

**Cell:**

Imperfect Cell: 42,000,000

Second Stage Cell (Android 18b absorbed): 65,000,000

Perfect Cell: 90,000,000

**Vegeta:**

Base Form: 25,000,000

Super Saiyan: 58,000,000

Super Saiyan (2nd Grade): 82,000,000

**Mirai Trunks:**

Base Form: 31,000,000

Super Saiyan: 62,000,000

Super Saiyan (2nd Grade): 86,000,000

Ultra Super Saiyan (3rd Grade): 120,000,000

**Krillin:**

Base: 1,750,000

**Android 16# (damaged):**

Base: 25,000,000

**Android 17#:**

Base: 35,000,000

**Android 18#:**

Base: 33,000,000

* * *

**_Author's note:_** This is one of the last chapters for a couple of days. I've writen ahead faster then I could download my chapters. I just hold some back so that I don't get rusty. I've got big ideas for my next chapters and for the rest of the story. I already thought ahead into the end of the Cell Games, but I'm not telling what'll happen. I enjoy writing a lot, and i hope you're all enjoying it so far. The best has yet to come! Oh, by the way, Piccolo can enter the Hyperbolic Time Chamber with the others because he doesn't need anywhere to sleep. Plus, in the Buu saga, Trunks, Goten, Super Buu and Piccolo were allowed in the chamber at the same time so...I guess that would fall on everyone else. Cheers. Till next chapter. 


	27. Tournament?

**

* * *

**

DRAGONBALL Z 

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Tournament?_

_**Inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber…**_

It has been well over 6 months now, and everything was carrying on as usual. Back at the main building, the bridge and entrance way into this dimension, Goku and Piccolo were training hard, sparring with each other out in the open fields not too far from the sleeping area. Goku was fighting in his normal form at his maximum, with Piccolo doing so in kind. The two of them were practically even, in skill, strength, agility and power. Their flurrying attacks blurred through the air as they leapt around, engaged in a heated battle.

Leaping back through the air, Piccolo threw his left hand out, right hand gripping his wrist. With a yell, he fired off an orange ki blast that ripped through the air, striking the empty white expanse beyond. When the trail of the blast disappeared, Goku reappeared, floating down a bit with his left arm burnt, indicating he was just grazed by the attack. In response, he threw his right hand forward and fired a bluer ki blast at Piccolo. The Namekian flew straight down; easily avoiding it by maneuvering through the air like you would see a jet fighter do. He then threw both his hands out, the underside of his palms together. With a growl of push of effort, he fired off an entire barrage of golden energy balls. This series of attacks hurled at Goku, hooking through the air in order to outflank his defense. Goku, who had landed not long ago, leapt around from side to side, avoiding several of these attacks that landed around him before zapping into super speed, avoiding the rest of the deadly barrage that crashed into the ground at 0.0002 second intervals. The barrage exploded with colossal force, galling winds from the explosion expanding outwards. Piccolo, frustrated at missing his opponent, just calmed him self and pushed himself into super speed, joining Goku in another fray. Fists locked as the two of them appeared at a higher altitude, attacking each other and sharing the blows.

The lock of fists was brief, and when the two of them kicked away from each other, they launched regular ki blasts at their opponent. The ki concentrated attacks collided, lighting up the sky in another powerful explosion. You would have expected the two of them to have been caught up in the explosion. But as the fire and smoke burned in the sky, the two fighters appeared on the ground, Goku launching himself at Piccolo to carry on his assault. Shockwaves rang out with the connecting blows; however the equal forces of defenses meant that neither opponent gained the upper hand in this duel. However, every so often the other would power up even more, exceeding the other's expectations and challenging their strength. Both of them were really into this fight, and took to the skies once more. Their auras burnt as they shot around, pursuing one another and coming back in every so often. Sonic explosions rang out each time the two fighters collided with one another, both of them attacking and striking before moving off again. Like homing missiles seen whizzing through the air, they didn't stop.

Making astounding maneuvers, the two of them then shot at each other and engaged in another brawl. But during this, as they were both coming back in with a punch, they stopped, looks of shock suddenly crossing their expressions when they picked up something in the air. Both Goku and Piccolo floated suspended in mid-punch, beads of sweat running down their foreheads. It wasn't just from exhaustion, but also from what they felt. It was incredible! They both turned around, eyes casting outwards towards the horizon of the Room of Spirit and Time. When they did, they saw a figure approaching from the distance, walking at a steady pace. Although he was so far away, they immediately identified the person as Gohan. His head was dipped forward, so they couldn't see his face. However, they knew on sight that he had changed.

Floating down from the sky, the two of them stood in the young Saiyan's way. Already he had reached them head still lowered yet still standing strong. They stared at him in awe, watching him walk up to them, and then brush past them. That's the closest they had ever gotten to him in so long. From here, they could hear his steady breathing, as well as the full magnitude of his power at the level he was at. Even though he was in normal form, his power had increased dramatically. His hair, once short some time ago, was now slightly longer, standing and still messy. His outward appearance was also something to talk about. In the time it took for him to return, he had gone through hell, so his clothes were ripped in all places. Also, he was battered up and bruised, burnt in several places from fire storms that had erupted in his way. But after all the chamber's efforts, it didn't stop Gohan making it back.

As Gohan walked away, eyes overshadowed, Goku turned to his son, blinking in surprise. "G-Gohan…are you alright son?" he asked.

At this, Gohan stopped. Silence fell amongst the group, with both Goku and Piccolo staring at the young Saiyan rather nervously. After months of being out there on his own, God knows what could have happened to him. He might have changed personalities again, he might have converted or he might not have changed at all. But whatever they thought about his change in his mental state, they were still more worried about Gohan's change in his physical state. He was strong, and his body was damn ripped with pure muscle (you could see since half of his gi top was ripped off).

A moment later, Gohan smiled under his shadow and nodded. "I'm fine dad," he replied cheerfully. "You two are doing alright as well…training's paying off I see…"

Goku and Piccolo, surprised none to say the least, turned to each other. A second later, they both smiled and turned back to him.

"It certainly has, kid," Piccolo replied.

"And it's paid off for you really well too," Goku exclaimed. Gohan chuckled, nodding affirmatively before continuing to walk. He sighed in his approach towards the main building.

"Well…don't let my appearance stop you two, there's six more months left for me to do that," Gohan called, not bothering to look back. "I'm going to rest, my muscles are screaming at me…"

Goku and Piccolo didn't need to be told twice. But before they got back to training, they watched Gohan step up onto a platform before coming to a stop by one of the support pillars holding up the roof of the building. The young Saiyan let out a sigh and slid down the side of the pole, coming to rest at the base. When they saw Gohan make it safely back, Piccolo and Goku could finally rest without worrying about the young Saiyan's safety. They immediately got back to training, taking stances and flying at each other.

As the pair fought in the distance, Gohan was seen looking up, a dark expression on his face. The shadow was removed from his eyes, revealing his eyes beneath his locks and bangs of hair. His eyes were glowing turquoise, flickering for a moment before averting back to their original colors. The orbs were solid, revealing his true nature underneath. Pure power, pureness and kindness were mixed underneath the windows to his soul…and it felt good!

He smiled…

"_Every calling is great when greatly pursued…"_

* * *

_**As the days go by…**_

Training continued at its steady pace. Every waking hour the three warriors would pull themselves to their feet and train, either separately or together. After six months of being on his own out in the heart of darkness…or better known as the depths of the Room of Spirit and Time, Gohan was looking forward to training more with his father and best friend. With a quick rest and a bath, Gohan was once again ready to hit the field.

From here, training with the other two was a breeze, and the sessions he had arranged continued on as usual. Because neither Goku nor Piccolo could really keep up with him unless they fought him at the same time (even though Gohan found it to be still too easy), the young Saiyan mostly trained on his own. In the morning he would have a quick breakfast and then get down to some warm-ups: stretching, 1,000,000 push ups, 1,000,000 sit ups, etc. After that, it was hard earned training. He would shadow spar on his own or with a copy of himself. Gohan would test his strength, speed, skill and power under the unpredictable weather beyond the threshold. At the same time, Goku and Piccolo moved through their own sessions, sparring with each other and meditation.

When it got to lunch time, Goku would stop and head on inside for a rest and to grab a bite to eat. This left Piccolo and Gohan to train together. Since the Namekian didn't stand a chance against the young Saiyan, they would usually just practice techniques and fighting styles or get down to some meditation. If Piccolo was looking for a challenge and for someone to give him a good work out, he would spar with Gohan, giving it his all. After that, when Goku returned, Piccolo would break off and let the two of them spend some quality time together. This meant that the choice of sparring, talking, discussion and meditation were on their hands. The father and son would use the time they had to go through all the things, everything they had missed and everything they wanted to do. When it came to sparring, Goku would power up to his maximum in his Super Saiyan state and fight Gohan. The young Saiyan child was sometimes forced to transform as well, either going to full power base form or 5 Super Saiyan form. For the hours moving on into the afternoon, they would train. During this time, Piccolo would jump in to join them. This gave them all a good work out before night time pulled over, the skies filling with colorful auroras and stars. Goku would go to sleep, Piccolo would meditate and Gohan would continue training far out into the chamber, but not as far as he went for six months. If he wasn't sparring heavily in Super Saiyan and using dead heavy weights, he would meditate with Piccolo. Then, as it journeyed into the morning, he would practice wushu or other styles of martial arts out in the open or weapon wielding practice.

For the rest of the year, he, Goku and Piccolo would continue to train until it was time to exit the chamber…

* * *

_**Outside on the Lookout…**_

_**Hours later…**_

"So what are we supposed to do?" Krillin asked as he looked around at Trunks. The young warrior was standing in the circle the group on the Lookout had made, arms crossed and a nervous expression written on his face.

After the battle with Cell on the island had ended, the battered group picked up the pieces, cleared up their battle scars and headed up to the Lookout. When they got to the floating platform high above the planet, Trunks got down to real explanations to why they had returned, and what Cell had in store for them. It was shocking enough to hear how much he had strengthened and how he was able to beat back even Trunks' best efforts, but the most astounding came when Mirai told everyone about the tournament Cell was setting up. However, that was the least of their problems. There was also the debate over the androids. After years of being tormented in his time by 17# and 18#, Trunks had half a mind of blowing up the two surviving robots right then and there. But Krillin stood in his way, convincing the time traveling warrior that they could help them. He also reminded Mirai on another note, with 18# catching onto it as well. Arguments followed, but after reassurances from Krillin, they dropped that subject and turned back to the other problem. Cell was still alive…and was stronger then ever before. That was the real problem at this point.

Not long after their arrival, Bulma arrived at the Lookout, curious to know what had happened. When she saw 16# and 18#, she freaked out, but Trunks managed to calm her down. It was after giving explanations to her she was able to calm down. Noticing the damages on 16#, she quickly scurried over to help him out, having brought along her personal kit. So that Baby Trunks didn't get in her way, she gave him to his father, who begrudgingly held onto him. From here, while he stood by his wife and mate, the rest of the group assembled themselves into a circle. Trunks, Krillin, Dende, Mr. Popo and 18# were apart of this circle, with the blonde haired android standing by Krillin's side, since he was the only one she could count on for support now. He was the only one that kept her from being blasted into oblivion by Vegeta. So it was all brought down to this…

"With Cell planning this world martial arts tournament and everything, we'll have to fit all the training we can into the ten days he's given us if we have a chance of winning," Krillin stated. Trunks and the others who were listening nodded in agreement. So far, that was the best and only plan they had. There was no other way.

"Cell is incredibly powerful now. He's got everything playing in his favor. If we allow him any chance of victory, then he can push the world's events either way and we wouldn't even know about it," Dende said, looking dim. 18# turned to the little Namek, adding her own comments into this discussion.

"He's already got the upper hand. If he wanted to, he could destroy the earth right now!" 18# stated. Trunks shook his head, closing his eyes.

"No…No…he wouldn't. Knowing him, since he has Saiyan blood flowing through his veins, he couldn't resist a good fight. After seeing how strong we were, he gave us this chance to train, and then give it our all the next time we meet on the ring!" Trunks said, opening his eyes. "Cell will wait…trust me…"

The group nodded. They were certain that it was going to be like that. Vegeta, who was listening from afar, muttered to himself and glared over the horizon while his mate tinkered with the damaged side of 16#'s head. Baby Trunks watched his mother curiously, tilting his head and making a curious, baby face.

"That creep!" Vegeta muttered to himself, attracting his baby son's attention. "If I were in his position, I would destroy this planet now and get it over with!"

"Oh, quit your whining Vegeta," Bulma said, hushing him up. "Be grateful that you're still alive. In fact, you should thank yourself for your Saiyan blood. If Cell's given us a chance, then we can use the time we have to our advantage. Just like Krillin said, you guys will have to train hard and get stronger. Gees…" she said, shaking her head. _"Sometimes I think that's the only solution around here: fighting! I feel so useless…"_

"_At least you're trying,"_ her husband responded through telekinesis. Bulma smiled at this, nodding.

"_Thank you darling,"_ she replied.

Vegeta grunted and looked down at his baby son, seeing him looking up at him curiously. Blinking a few times, the Saiyan Prince nodded to him, giving him a puzzled look in turn. "What are you staring at?" Trunks blinked, then smiled and blew a raspberry at him. Vegeta smirked, looking away. "That's the spirit." He knew his son just insulted him.

16# looked between Bulma and Vegeta, watching them interact. By taking note of this, he was able to compare it with the information he had stored in his memory banks. Though blurry, he didn't expect to see the two of them speak with each other this way, or smile to each other for all that matters. It was strange how much things have changed.

"So I guess that just leaves the others," Dende said, shrugging. "We'll have to warn them about this, and tell them to keep an eye on the television to see if Cell will be making his grand appearance…"

"Yeah. The entire world's population is going to be panicking after that. Unless they can find hope in these dark times, I don't know what else to do," Trunks replied. Krillin shrugged.

"Ahh don't worry, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Heck, we've been through worse," the monk exclaimed, although he didn't really believe it. This planet is about to endure its worst time.

Dende nodded. "All preparations will be made post haste. Ten days is all we need!" the young Namekian Guardian stated. He turned to his right hand man. "Mr. Popo, could you get on the trail and collect the seven dragon balls please? We'll need them…" The genie bowed.

"Yes of course," Mr. Popo replied, taking leave and scampering off towards the building. Dende watched him leave, allowing Krillin, 18# and Trunks to continue talking.

"How are you going to continue your training Trunks? If you're really serious about this, perhaps you can stay up here and work things out with Dende," Krillin said. Mirai looked down at him and nodded.

"Perhaps. I'll see if I can use the Hyperbolic Time Chamber again. After all, if we manage to pull ourselves through this, which I know we will, I'll be heading back home. I'm going to use everything I can to get stronger," he stated.

"And you'll need a hair cut too Trunks!" his mother called from afar, having listened in on their conversation. The time traveling warrior was taken aback by this, and after blushing, glanced down at his feet.

"Of…course…" he whispered. Krillin chuckled, whereas 18# just smiled.

"Man, what a tie breaker!" the monk exclaimed, turning around to look up at 18#. The blonde haired looked at him as well. "What do you think?"

"I think he could use a trim. The hair will get in his way during the fight," she replied, glancing back over at the young Saiyan. Mirai sighed and shook his head, crossing his arms and looking in some other direction.

The thoughts of Cell were still plastered on his mind, as well as some other questions. How would they fair against him? Were Gohan, Goku and Piccolo nearly finished? How far would they go to ensure the planet's safety? More questions like these circled his mind making him think. There was also the fact about Cell being true to his word about the tournament. Then again, having Saiyan cells, it was possible he would keep his word.

Mirai was right after all…Cell was readying himself for the tournament…

It was on…

* * *

An explosion occurred inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, followed by a cloud of smoke that lifted off of the ground, forming a mushroom high in the skies filled with ash and sparks. The very force of the big bang sent galling winds in all directions, ripping up the ground even though there was nothing to get out of it. Then, the winds died, leaving only a dissipating black cloud. But that didn't mean that the events were over just yet.

Out of the darkness, a series of yellow energy balls shot out, hurling through the air and hooking from left to right. The attacker and user of this attack managed to draw his opponent out of hiding, Piccolo appearing out of super speed, powered up to maximum. With his purple aura with blue electricity crackling around him, the Namek took flight, avoiding the next series of attacks to come his way. Just as he passed one point, another fighter appeared. This one happened to be Goku, powered up to maximum and flared to Super Saiyan. With a yell, he suddenly back flipped as a golden ki blast shot straight for him, forcing him to take evasive action. As soon as attention was averted from the both of them, Goku and Piccolo took this opportunity and flashed into super speed again, going after their hidden attacker.

Just as the smoke had lifted into a thin cloud, shockwaves began ringing out. With speeds greater then what Vegeta and Trunks could muster at their maximums, the three warriors became locked in am epic battle. It was merely a spar, yet they were serious all the same. The shockwaves exploded at a machine gun rate, each one as powerful as the last. The force of impact of all their attacks was astounding, but the way they managed to keep this up was even more astounding, especially since the temperature around them had increased to that of a wild fire. The heat scorched them, making them sweat and work.

Appearing out of nowhere, Goku hurled through the air across the ground, flames licking up at him but being blown away by his speed. With a warrior like yell, he brought his left fist back and threw a punch straight at his opponent. Just as he did, he found his fist caught in a small grip, Gohan appearing on the scene a few seconds later. With his teeth gritted and one hand held up, he managed to hold his father in that position before bringing his right leg up and kicking him clean in the face. Goku was knocked, staggering back from the blow. It was just then Piccolo attacked, coming up from the other side of the child and racing at him at full speed. Gohan felt the approach of his former mentor and quickly brought his left fist around, hammering Piccolo cleanly in the face before knocking him away with a quick energy push with the same hand. Immediately after Piccolo was knocked back, Goku came in again, charging after recovering. He pitched a quick, right punch at Gohan only for the young Saiyan to turn transparent and the Super Saiyan passed right through him. Gohan solidified and quickly, grabbed his father's leg with his left hand and pitched him straight up, throwing him into the air. The older Saiyan yelled as he spun out of control, the throw strong and managing to toss him at quite a distance.

After throwing his father, Gohan powered up and pursued, flashing into super speed. Flying through the air at an incredible rate, Gohan pulled up right beside his father and sent a left roundhouse kick into his side. Goku screamed in agony from the powerful blow landing on him before he retaliated, coming back and elbowing with his right. Surprisingly, Gohan was struck by the blow and was knocked away, winded. Turning on his heel, Goku flung himself at his son, bringing his right hand back and hooking at him. Gohan disappeared into super speed. Goku did the same, with Gohan suddenly reappearing in a quick motion from his left. A split second later, Gohan too disappeared, flashing away as his father drove down at him with a left jab. In a whiz of golden flashes, Gohan appeared beneath him, kicking up at his face with a backwards, right roundhouse kick. The blow struck, staggering the Super Saiyan before Gohan was hit clean on by Piccolo coming up from underneath him, driving a punch into his stomach. The young Saiyan was knocked back, flying through the air, as if out of control. Piccolo proceeded with his assault, pivoting and bringing his right hand forward. From here, he threw a golden energy ball at the young Saiyan. The attack hooked round and came right at him. Gohan had faked receiving the blow, using it as a means of retreat. He easily spun back into a proper stance, watching the attack come to him. He smirked bringing his sword around and slashing at it. The streak of blue, slash energy struck the blast and exploded, this was followed up by a series of more slash attacks that were aimed directly for Piccolo and Goku. The two were quick to act and moved out of the way as the energy slashes came at them.

Spinning his sword and quickly putting it back into his sheath, Gohan powered up again and flashed into super speed. He pursued them, coming close to the ground and streaking across the boiling hot surface. Flames licked as he flew on, before he reappeared and turned around, skidding to a stop. With a growl of effort, he brought himself into a snake style stance, his hands flowing in motion around him as he used his ki to gain control over the fire around him. The flames began to lick around him, swirling up a vortex like wind formation that sprung up around the young Saiyan. With a few more movements and position changes, Gohan cupped his hands behind him, fire seeping into his grip before he slid forward and threw both hands out, as if unleashing a Kamehameha wave. Instead, a blast of fire shot forth from his hands and flew across the chamber, forcing Goku and Piccolo out of hiding. The two of them sprang out of the way just in time to see the blast shoot past, barely grazing them. It was then when Gohan made a surprise appearance, bursting out of his own fire blast and flying directly for Piccolo. With a growl, he brought his right fist around, golden electricity crackling around it. From here, he threw a powerful punch right across the Namekian's cheek, the blow accompanied by a lightning like bang as he knocked his opponent senseless. Goku, seeing his fighting partner in trouble, flew at Gohan from behind, his aura exploding around him. Gohan sensed his father attacking and spun around, throwing a right kick up into his father's stomach, gritting his teeth. Hitting Goku full on, he managed to knock him into a state of shock, winding him, and causing him to release his hold on his aura, which disappeared with the moment.

Smirking, Gohan floated up, fast, and then threw a hook across Goku's face, cleanly knocking him out of this game as he had done with Piccolo. He smiled, his eyes flickering.

"_When I face Cell, it's going to be one hell of a battle…"_

* * *

The last hours of the day outside of the Room of Spirit and Time passed, with the Z-fighters on the Lookout scattered and waiting anxiously for Goku, Gohan and Piccolo to complete their training. It has been some time since Cell had announced the Cell Games, with Master Roshi and Chi-Chi giving Bulma a call and telling them all about the monster's appearance. She replied that she knew about it already, but said that she needed to know more of the details. The Son mother passed on the information to her over the phone, to which Bulma passed on to the others. With the details of the fight given and the location of the ring set, everything began falling into place. To pass the remaining time till Goku's training in the Time Chamber was finished, everyone had taken up new positions on the Lookout to complete tasks etc.

Bulma was still working on Android 16#. Using several of the tools that she had packed into her high speed-altitude jet to fix up the damaged android, she was amazed by the technology used in the robot's brain. She also managed to fix up several of his other damages in his arm and back, rewiring cables and replacing cracked parts. His head, however, was more complicated because it used pieces that she rarely even saw. They were very complex, plus his whole CPU system was like a 1000 piece puzzle.

Vegeta, who had grown tired of holding onto his baby son and doing nothing, handed the task of holding onto Baby Trunks to Mirai. The youthful warrior from the future didn't hesitate and just cradled his past self in his arms, walking around and humming cheerfully to lighten the mood. With his son taken care of, Vegeta walked over to some pillar, crossed his arms and leaned against it. Closing his eyes, he went on to thinking and resting. His arms needed to be free in order for him to do so.

Krillin was spending some time with Android 18#, walking around the front edge of the Lookout and just, talking with her. Amazingly, the girl had good social skills; being downloaded with a hell of a lot of worldly information sure helped. The only down side was that Krillin didn't need to talk about himself to her, since she knew almost everything about him.

While the pair walked around, Dende carried on with his own tasks. He looked down upon the earth, staring at it from afar and keeping watch over it. Even though he couldn't do much about the events going on right now, he could certainly offer his support. The dragon balls were a start, and when the others needed his healing powers then he can certainly use them. Like he was taught by Kami, he continued performing his Guardian of Earth duties, making sure the climates and weather on the planet were running smoothly.

Just as time drifted past the past minute, everything seemed to stop. Deep within the Lookout, the Hyperbolic Time Chamber's door opened, and suddenly, the Z-fighters on the outside were blasted by three, immensely powerful ki levels entering their midsts. Vegeta, Trunks, Krillin and everyone else turned towards the entrance to the Lookouts main building. Bulma however didn't notice everyone's attention draw away from their tasks and continued working on 16#'s head. The android had also glanced towards the source of the ki levels when his sensors picked it up. He was shocked beyond belief at the amount he sensed, but remained silent. The blue haired scientist screwing in a new nail to a shock absorbing box housing his memory banks didn't pick up the hint and just went on, taking out a thermal cutter to repair some scorch marks made to the inside shell of his cranium.

Vegeta, Trunks, Krillin, 18#, Dende and 16# stared towards the entrance, feeling the enormous ki levels approaching. Moments later, the trio last to use the Hyperbolic Time Chamber emerged from the darkness. Gohan emerged first, standing by the entrance in his normal form and gazing out onto the giant floating platform, seeing everyone standing around and gawking at him. He was soon accompanied by his father, who was powered up to Super Saiyan, and then Piccolo. All three of them stood by the entrance, staring with confusion out onto the balcony with curious looks in their eyes. Everyone was amazed. 16#, who was lying on the ground, sat up, surprising Bulma who told him to lie back again. But when he noticed everyone looking towards the building, she too looked, immediately spotting Gohan, Goku and Piccolo standing there, all of them clad in all their battle torn glory.

Gohan's gi was ripped in many places, the right side completely torn off, and revealing rock solid muscles underneath. He was completely buff underneath his clothes, bruises, burn marks and wounds clearly shown imprinted all over his skin. His hair remained grown to the most recognizable length, and there was rarely much change in his appearance except that his muscle span had increased quite a bit (his neck was also quite thick). There weren't many changes in Piccolo and Goku either. The two of them were exactly the same as before, except with bigger muscles and higher power levels. Even so, Gohan was the one who had changed the most. He had grown quite a bit too, his forehead reaching Goku's chin if they both stood normally.

Bulma, Krillin and many of the others gasped in shock at their appearance. Vegeta and Trunks were gawking at the three, unable to believe how high a power levels they had. it was incredible what they felt.

"Oh my gosh! Gohan…Goku!" Krillin exclaimed.

"What in the world happened to you guys?!" Trunks asked. He then shook his head. "No…wait, stupid question. Look at yourselves!"

"How much they've changed…" Dende managed to speak out, mouth hanging open.

"It's unbelievable," Bulma said. Even though she couldn't sense power levels, she was amazed none to say the least. She had never seen Gohan or Goku in those states before, and Piccolo…well…she had to be surprised about one thing for a reason.

Goku chuckled rubbing the back of his head as he looked out at their friends. "Man…did we really change that much?" the Super Saiyan asked, looking down at himself. Gohan and Piccolo looked at him as well. His son could take that joke and just smiled, whereas Piccolo grunted indifferently. With a shrug, the group headed the rest of the way down the stairs and stopped short of Dende, who had walked up to them after recovering from his shock.

"It's great to see you guys again," Dende exclaimed. Gohan grinned.

"You act as though it's been a year. By your standards, it's just been one day!" the young Saiyan replied. Trunks also walked over to them, join by Krillin, 18# and Vegeta.

"Well, it's been like a year for us without you guys around, because we've got a load of bad news…"

"Cell's still alive," Piccolo blurted out, arms crossed. Trunks, Krillin and Dende nodded.

"Yeah…and it gets worse," Krillin continued.

From here, with Trunks mostly speaking, the group told Goku, Gohan and Piccolo about the events that had transpired in their absence. Yesterday, the things that had taken place weren't as bad as what Cell had proclaimed before departing. Everything was said, from the androids absorption right down to the Cell Games. The Day of Judgment had arisen, with an actual date and time given this time. In nine more days, the Z-fighters would have to fight for their lives and for the sake of the people. After finishing breaking the news to Goku and the other two, it ended with the older Saiyan nodding in response, rubbing his chin in thought with Gohan also nodding. Piccolo, however, remained silent, but took in the news none the less.

"So I see our troubles have just become more complicated," Goku stated with a smile. Everyone nodded, puzzled by why the Saiyan was so cheerful.

"Yeah, things have really gotten bad," Dende stated.

"So in order to combat against this new threat, we're going back into the Time Chamber," Trunks stated. "There's plenty of time left, and I have it all figured out…"

"Speak for yourself," Vegeta retorted, his temper growing. "I'm going back to the GR at home. God knows, when this is over we're going to need the Time Chamber again. I'm not wasting another year in there to grow more inferior. You can go on…" the Prince stated.

Though everyone was shocked at the prince's words, they just went back to staring at Goku and his two training partners. Piccolo had created a new gi set for himself, the ki projection over him replacing his ruined clothes with new ones, adding a new turban and weighted cape to his style of uniform. Gohan also created a new set for himself at the same time as his mentor, everything on him growing anew. To complete his new look, as well as Piccolo, he tossed the Namekian a Senzu bean and also one to his father. The three of them recovered second's later, relief flowing through them.

"Well, I feel that I've done enough training," Goku announced, astounding everyone. "We've pushed ourselves as far as we could, and I think we're set to take on Cell…"

"Are you nuts, Goku?" Trunks shouted. "Didn't you hear what we just said? Cell is far stronger then he was before after absorbing 17#, and because of it, he was able to floor me and my father without even trying! There is no way you…"

"Trunks," Gohan interrupted. "My father's right. We've done all we could in the time we were given and…" the young Saiyan shrugged. "Since we've worked ourselves to death, I feel that a time of recreation and relaxation is in order."

"You guys are insane!" Krillin yelled.

"The world could very well be destroyed in nine days and all you can think about is kicking back and relaxing!" Trunks also shouted. Dende, Vegeta and the others around them remained silent, either gawking or staring at them in surprise. They all thought the duo was crazy. Piccolo, however, didn't have a voice on this part. His plans weren't really to throw his feet up onto a table, lean back on the hind legs of a chair and rest. He was going to continue training.

Gohan just closed his eyes and chuckled. "Perhaps. But…I'd like to spend those days with my family," the young Saiyan exclaimed. He opened his eyes and looked up. "My hectic training throughout my entire life has given me little time to hang around with my mom and dad. Not to mention all the battles and adventures, there's so much that has been said but can never be repeated. I don't want to leave this world a hundred years into the future without seeing some light out of darkness. I could use the break."

Goku smiled down at his son and ruffled his hair. The Saiyan child laughed and smiled back up at him. With an exchange of nods, the two of them then proceeded down the length of the Lookout, waving to their friends who were still bewildered by their actions.

"If the tournament is in nine days, then you can count on us being there!" Goku exclaimed with a salute. "We'll see you guys later, alright! Train hard!"

Now looking forward to these days of relaxation, the two of them shot off into the skies and flew down, their speeds matching each other besides their form differences. Everyone looked out after them, speechless. Though they were astounded to hear that the two didn't want to train anymore at this point, they were still shocked to feel how strong they've become, even if they were masking at least half of their power.

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	28. Dreams and Nightmares

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Dreams and Nightmares_

_**Mount Paoz…**_

_**Day three…**_

It was a nice, sunny day out over the landscapes of Mount Paoz, with the breath of air fresh due to a nice, cool breeze drifting across the lands. It was beautiful out here, the view added up by crystal clear winding rivers nourishing the surrounding valleys and forests, and the sun shining brightly, projecting the clear blue skies with very little cloud cover. Rolling hill sides stretched for miles on end with the easily noticeable Mountain Ranges of Paoz outlining the horizon. And guess who the locals were? The 1000 square miles of this area all belonged to the Son family, who were at this very moment spending some nice, quality time together.

Deep into the ranges, sitting on the banks of a large lake amongst a cluster of surrounding hills and forests, Goku and his wife, Chi-Chi, sat peacefully in each other's arms, looking out over the sparkling surface and admiring the view. It has been so long since the two of them had any time like this together. They were completely relaxed, despite the looming day of the Cell Games. Amazingly enough, for once, Goku had dressed out of his gi and slipped into something more comfortable: blue jeans, sport shoes, white T-shirt and a blue, sports jacket. He sort of stood out, what with his light blonde hair and all, but he liked these clothes. His wife didn't mind either. It was pretty rare to see the Saiyan out of his gi and in something different. It was far better then the Hawaiian shirt and pants he wore when trying out for his driver's license. From the looks of it, both of them were really happy.

Chi-Chi sighed and snuggled up closer to her husband, enjoying the warmth she received from him. "This is very nice, Goku. It's been so long…"

"I know. I never really stopped long enough to enjoy things like this," he exclaimed. Chi-Chi giggled and rested her head on his shoulder, feeling his hand squeeze her own shoulder in affection. To which, Goku laid his head against her's, listening to the silence.

But that quiet was broken again when Chi-Chi spoke up. "How long do you think Gohan will be gone for?" she asked. Goku shrugged, smiling. He took a glance at the wrist watch under his right cuff. It was digital, so it was easy for him to read. On first glance, and judging distance of his son's ki signature, he looked back up and began to count in his head.

"Right about…now!"

Suddenly, out from under the depths of the lake, a shadow quickly appeared and surfaced. Coming up, Gohan laughed and breathed in the sweet relief of air, wiping his face down and looking towards the shore in front of him. Goku nodded with a cheerful smile, whilst Chi-Chi looked on in surprise and curiosity, thinking as to how long her son was able to stay under water. The young Saiyan waved and held up a giant fin of something in raised success.

"Check it out mom! I caught us something for dinner!" he shouted. Chi-Chi smiled at her son's successful catch and waved back.

"That's great, Gohan! Bring it on up!" she replied. When Gohan began floating up, flying out of the water and dragging whatever it was he had caught out with him, his mother was shocked to find out that he had caught more then just one giant fish he usually brought home on a daily basis. In fact, he had caught four giant fish and a mass of seven salmon. When the entire cache was out, all of his prizes hooked onto a thick wire laced with hooks, the young Saiyan floated down to the ground and set the fishes down. Goku and Chi-Chi watched him, with Goku looking amused whilst Chi-Chi was freaked out.

"Wow Gohan! Nice catch!" Goku exclaimed in delight. "I don't know about you Chi-Chi, but that salmon will make excellent sushi!"

Chi-Chi blinked, staring at the pile of fish in astonishment. Just as her thoughts began to register and everything else was drawn back into focus, she smiled nervously and nodded to her son. She was finally able to respond to all the previous questions, now that she had returned to the real world. "Yes…o-of course, Goku…" Goku grinned and gave his son the thumbs up, which he returned.

Shaking his head, Gohan wiped his face down again with his hand before powering up a bit. The instantaneous appearance of his aura blew off all of the water on him, drying him up in just one second before he powered down, aura disappearing. Leaving the fish where they were, Gohan approached his parents, grabbing his gi top and pants hanging from a nearby branch (note he was only wearing his boxers, the usual tight, spandex shorts). He slipped into them easily before dropping onto the grass beside his mother and father. With a sigh of relief, he kicked back and closed his eyes, relaxing at last. Goku and Chi-Chi smiled down at him, deciding to follow his example and so, lay back as well. Chi-Chi remained in her husband's arms all the while, both of them closing their eyes and enjoying the silence that dawned.

As they rested, Gohan opened his eyes and glanced over at his parents. With a brief check to see how they were doing, he closed his eyes again and returned to lying back and looking up towards the sky blindly.

"_Innocence is life…untested, but virtue is innocence tested and triumphant…"_

"Hey dad…"

Goku, not even bothering to glance over at his son, who was also not bothering to look over at him as well, just smiled and nodded slightly. "Yes son…"

"Are you sure we're really ready to beat Cell now?" the young Saiyan asked. "I'm just wondering…since we're not really sure how powerful he really is now. He might have some hidden reserves or yet another transformation…" Gohan said.

Goku chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm sure we'll be able to beat him, son. After all, we've been training so hard for this moment. There's nothing to worry about. If we all work together, then we're sure to win," he replied.

Gohan smiled even brighter. "That's good…I just wanted to be reaffirmed with the situation…that's all…"

The family drove right back into silence, left to their peaceful thoughts that flowed through their minds, rather then having it whirl around as if answering a complicated question. From here, they listened to the sounds of nature echoing around them. The singing of the birds was bliss, and the fresh air was reviving…

* * *

_**Day Four…**_

It seemed that everything was going as planned. All the tasks that the Z-fighters had set have been or are at this very moment being thoroughly completed. In the waning days till the Cell Games, the people of earth have been looking in every direction for a savior to come to their rescue. As it so happens, they had the ideal poster man for the job. Yamcha, Krillin and 18#, who were over at Kame House resting up from a great deal of training, were watching the news to clue onto the nation wide events. The Cell Games has become top priority to everyone, and everyone was preparing themselves. They found to their shock that a human named Hercule Satan would also be fighting Cell. It was maddening, seeing as Cell was far more powerful then any human on earth. They just shook their heads at the stupidity displayed by the fighter, who happened to be World Martial Arts Champion two times in a row with another two victories set aside in history texts.

Bulma was continuing to fix Android 16#, finding her contribution to the team a swell rise in her confidence. She knew she was being really helpful now, since she was providing help for a couple of the Z-fighters, such as her husband. Speaking of which, Vegeta was using the GR constantly, as he had stated back on the Lookout that the use of the Time Chamber would be pointless. It was also of Dende's advice that told him he could not use it. Mirai, another addition to the family, made trips between the Lookout and Capsule Corp. He had spent yet another year inside the Time Chamber, using up his two times and emerging stronger then ever. However, he has yet been able to find that push that Goku and Gohan found.

Tien and Chouzu remained lodged at Kame House with Krillin, Yamcha and 18#. The mostly consistent human group felt it was best that they trained together. 18#, being an android, needed little training, seeing as her strength was due to her model and build. Krillin, her newly found boyfriend, felt that it would be unfair if they left her out and allowed her to join them so that _she_ could give them the workout. Apparently, the android was still just as strong as all of them combined.

Goku, true to his word, continued his relaxing days off, spending quality time with his son and his wife. Gohan would usually go off to visit Piccolo and Dende, checking up on the two of them. His Namekian mentor was going through long routines of meditation, rather then actual physical work. The Guardian of Earth, not one to participate in fights, continued to perform his duties and oversee the wellbeing of the planet. There were no other real problems whatsoever, except for Cell. It was found out that he had provided himself with the ring where he was hosting the tournament, and was standing, unmoving in its centre, waiting for the day to arrive. Who would have thought that a guy could stand in the same place, day in and day out, for ten days and not move around at all?

Anyway, the days rolled by into the forth day, and everyone was still training hard or relaxing. The shadows have yet to cast themselves at this point, but everyone knew that the hard times were just getting started.

It was when one incident arose did one particular fighter knew that Cell had to be the least of his problems…

High above the earth, coming in from the dark abysses of space, an unexpected visitor began its approach of the peaceful planet in the Northern Quadrant. Sighting earth as its target, the being of unknown origins swooped down, coming into orbit above the planet's atmosphere. Its vessel of transportation happened to be a very familiar type of space craft: a Saiyan space pod. The orb like ship, sparkling from a trail of shards and debris floating around it, circled the planet, under the umbrella cover of satellites and tracking units. It was cloaked, using its unique technology to shield itself from detection. To add to it, the being within the space pod had masked his ki, making it easier for him to penetrate the planet's defensive lines.

Within moments, the ship had entered the planet's atmosphere, bursting through the clouds and landing with a crash. The explosion left a massive crater, a land mark smack bang, right in the middle of a wide valley, surrounded by plateaus, hills and mountains. Cloud cover above, though thick, still had rays of sunlight shooting through. But this was soon replaced by storm like clouds, indicating that a very dark presence had landed. From here, a foreign frequency signal went up, sounding an alarm…

It just so happened that a familiar hero was on a routine inspection flight around the planet. Gohan, the young Saiyan child, was heading on home from an hour of meditation with Piccolo on Kami's Lookout; the past events making him feel more relaxed then ever. There was nothing like spending some quality time with your friends, even when danger was lurking just around the corner. It was while he was flying over some wasteland terrain when he picked up something close by. Stopping in mid-flight, he turned his attention north, his eyes narrowing. As soon as he stopped, he was hit full on by the signal, a trace of ki that had drifted towards him. Furrowing his brow, he also realized that something had broken through earth's atmosphere, his connection to the planet being far more acute then Dende's.

"What the?" he spoke up. _"I'm sensing a strange energy signature in the distance…I can't identify it. That can't be good. I'd better check it out…"_

Gritting his teeth, Gohan powered up and shot off at full speed towards the source of the disturbance. Leaving a slight trail of energy behind, the young Saiyan flew over vast lands of wasteland before coming towards forest covered hillsides, mountains, rivers and lakes. Because of the change from a wide open valley to a cluster of Mountain Ranges, the temperature seemed to have dropped for him. For miles on end there were no cities, just villages and outskirt towns. Even though these should interfere with his ki sensing abilities, he knew for certain that this signature was no where near any villages, so he flew on. Ignoring the cold winds, he honed in on the unknown source.

Far out of reach of any of the other Z-fighters, Gohan came to a stop above various valleys, plateaus and hills. Glancing down at the ground, he saw to his shock a Saiyan space pod sitting deep inside a freshly made crater. The smoke emerging from the crater came from several fires burning around the space craft, a cause of entry into the planet through the atmosphere. The burn up it also created on landing was also the cause of the fire. The rising smoke created a thick mist that fell around the crater, partially blocking view of whatever it was to emerge from the space craft. Furrowing his brow, Gohan decided to get in closer and dropped out of the sky, landing a good 40 meters away from the crater, just to play it safe. Straightening himself, the young Saiyan scowled tightly into the mist, a bead of sweat running down the side of his head.

"_Well, it's safe to say that this isn't Cell's work,"_ he thought to himself, his teeth bearing. _"But why do I feel so uneasy?"_

As Gohan stood by the crater, glaring into the mists, he suddenly felt a ki emerge from the space craft. Seconds later, a faint glow began to radiate from the crater, moving up and becoming more intense. This was immediately followed by a shadow, formed into the distinct shape of a solid being or person. Gohan's eyes widened slowly, his mouth also falling open as he felt the ki signature grow. The amount he felt, it was beginning to climb to an extraordinary level, far beyond that of his father's. It was shocking, really. His body began to tremble, more beads of sweat emerging on his forehead. Then, as he gazed into the shadowy figure floating in the mists, he began to clearly make it…or him, out.

The figure drifted over the crater and out of the mists. Pulsing around him was a golden shield of some sort, which blew away the mists of smoke in front of him as he approached Gohan. The fires behind him continued to burn, but it didn't matter to him. For a person to fit inside the space pod, he was quite big. In fact, the guy was about the same height as Second Stage Cell, only with proper muscles, which were quite big as well. His skin was tanned a darker brown then Vegeta's skin, and was flawless, no burn marks, scratches, bruises etc. He had blonde, spiky hair a top of his head that grew back into sort of a mullet (with the strands standing up), and turquoise eyes. Around his neck, he wore a necklace, a golden plate with a aqua pearl engraved in the centre. He also had gold wrist cuffs, the two pieces also bearing one pear on each of them. He didn't wear a top, just pants. His pants were baggy white, ripped in a couple of places and a dark red sash with a golden belt, similar to the make of his cuffs and necklace. To finish it, he wore yellow boots with red socks. It was a traditional wear, but didn't match those clothes worn by earthlings. Speaking of which, the articles he wore blew around in the energy winds produced by the shield he had projected around him. His expression on his face was serious, but very dull and monotone. The reflection of anger and rage burned in those eyes, and the tone in his energy made Gohan nervous. It was cold, ancient…and evil…

"_Who the heck is this guy?"_ Gohan asked himself. _"His energy level is amazing!"_

The figure stopped, coming to float above the ground away from the crater, now at least 30 meters from Gohan. His arms and hands were held out, palms pointed directly towards the ground, with his left leg raised a bit and right left straight down. The way he floated was odd, but it suited his visage. However, that was the least Gohan was concerned about. What mattered was whether this guy was good or not.

When the guy looked up at Gohan, the young Saiyan stepped back, taking a defensive stance. His eyes remained locked with the mysterious warrior, the figure glaring back at him through turquoise eyes. One other thing became certain to Gohan, the guy was a Saiyan.

"Hey! Who are you? Are you lost?" Gohan asked. The guy didn't answer, his eyes just firmly locking with Gohan. The stare he was giving him made him nervous. Winds blew about, the guy using the energy to keep him a float causing a whirlwind formation around him.

The unknown Saiyan's glare on Gohan hardened. In a completely surprising twist, the blonde haired warrior became angered, his teeth gritted, hands tightening into fists and trembling. His ki took a sudden jump, making Gohan raise his eyebrow and look at him with more worry. The winds increased in ferocity, and the earth beneath the warrior began to crack and give way to the energy output.

"Ka…Kakarot!" he hissed. Gohan blinked.

"_Kakarot? Is this guy looking for my dad or something?" _he asked himself. However, as it turns out, the warrior's attention was squarely fixed on the child, his anger and ki rising dramatically, beyond his control. Gohan became concerned. When he felt the guy's ki level rise, it soon became clear that this wasn't going to move into quiet negotiations, but aggressive talks. He readied himself, backing away ever so slowly. The more the guy's ki rose, the fiercer the winds around him got. Dust began to blow in all directions, cracks forming in the ground and moving out from under the Saiyan.

"Kakarot! KAKAROT!!! KAKAROOOOOOTTT!!!!" the warrior roared, his power level suddenly shooting up dramatically. Gohan was shocked. It now dwarfed even his father's at his maximum. In a explosion of force and power, the ground gave way underneath him, a massive crater being punched into it as the shield like aura around the warrior expanded and grew. Debris and rubble floated into the air as the ground was ripped away by the energy output and the winds raging around him. The guy was going psycho now. Waves of shockwaves escaped from him, exploding outwards with the energy output. Gohan gasped leaping back as a blast of wind struck. Landing, he bit and held his ground as the winds raged on, whipping at him. The ground around him trembled and shook, an earthquake forming with the rise of power the Super Saiyan floating in front of him grew with.

Just then, in a blink of an eye, the guy shot at Gohan at full speed, the ground ripped and parting from the force produced by the Saiyan's flight. With his energy shield still pulsing around him, he hurled at his target and, pulling back his right fist, threw it at Gohan. The power attack caught the young Saiyan off guard, who ducked underneath it, parrying it at the same time and leaping to his left, retreating fast just as the ground around him collapsed. Rubble and debris flew with the continuous energy escaping from the Super Saiyan. It was clear now the guy didn't want to talk. Gohan flew back, landing some distance away before pushing off again as the earth split towards him. The big warrior followed him, flying at full speed after him, creating deep entrenchments in his path and the ground crumbling all around him. Rubble and debris lifted into the air, his strength and speed appearing at an alarming rate. Gohan watched his opponent approach, nervous at being hit by any of the guy's attacks. Now with his opponent in reach, the blonde haired fighter let out a warrior's yell of anger and threw another right punch at Gohan. The young Saiyan leapt over his opponent as the warrior drove his fist downwards. The young Saiyan's didn't oppose him just yet, and forward flipped over his opponent and retreating again, dropping out of the sky and floating backwards fast, keeping his eyes on his opponent. By the time they were at least 120 meters away from each other, the unknown Super Saiyan gritted his teeth, growled and turned around, seeing his target moving away.

Gohan skidded to a stop, watching the warrior's movement. The Super Saiyan turned around and brought his right hand up and behind him. Through a unique display of energy, he watched the fighter charge up an attack, the area around him flashing green and suddenly gets sucked into his palm. The orb of energy shrinks into his grasp, and disappears when he fist's his hand. But then, when he opens his right hand, a ball of green energy appears, shining brightly and catching Gohan's attention. With a yell of anger, the Super Saiyan warrior throws his hand forward, releasing the ball of energy. It hurled through the air, hooking and flying at Gohan at an incredible speed. The young Saiyan stressed over the amount of energy he felt coming off of it. Leaping back through the air, watching the attack curve towards him, Gohan swung his right hand round before throwing it forward, left hand gripping his right wrist. In that quick action, a stream of blue energy shot out of his palm and shot straight for the incoming attack, which had only traveled three quarters of the way to him. His attack struck his opponent's, both of them impacting and infusing with each other. The mixture of energy flickered for a moment, before suddenly erupting into a massive explosion of colossal force. The very beginning shook the earth beneath them. In a mighty bang and a series of smaller explosions, a green ball of fire erupted in the sky, accompanied by golden sparks and smoke. Its blast radius extended for 100's of meters in every direction, consuming Gohan within the burning smoke. The Super Saiyan warrior responsible for the concentrated energy put into his attack grinned, glaring down at the explosion taking place.

As flames erupted from the crater punched into the ground, black smoke rose into the air, creating a thick divide between the two fighters. A shadow shot out of the fire, landing and skidding along the ground, dropped into a fighting stance. Slightly scarred from the explosion, Gohan glared through the flames up towards the sky where he felt the ki of his opponent. All the while, his thoughts were whirling in his head.

"_Dang, what could have set him off?"_ he thought. _"He's a Saiyan alright, but who exactly is he? He's really packing big time…"_

Suddenly, bursting out of the wall of fire, which parted from his fast entrance, the large Super Saiyan charged down at Gohan. Bringing his right fist back, he threw a powerful punch, yelling at the top of his lungs. The young Saiyan defender was ready. He brought his left hand up and caught the incoming fist, being pushed back a little from how strong the blow was. He supported his left hand with his right, resisting the pressure placed upon him with a firm stance. Both Saiyans bit tooth and nail, trying to over power one another. Gohan however, found himself placed under stress, as the Super Saiyan warrior was stronger then he was. Still, it didn't he was going to give up so easily. After locking in that position for a moment, the two of them flashed into super speed, taking their fight through the skies. Seconds later, shock waves, sonic booms, impacts of fists and yells of effort could be heard, as both fighters engaged in a quick, unpredictable battle. They were so fast you couldn't see them, all you could see was the air exploding from the shockwaves going off. Signs of these were when the smoke and fire parted, craters being punched into the ground with both Gohan and his opponent leaping across the valleys, exchanging lethal blows. Shock wave after shock wave followed, before the two of them reappeared above the lands below close to the rising smoke from the large crater far below.

The sky had darkened with smog, thanks to the atomic like explosion that had occurred. Plus, the heat from the fire down below had risen and was filling the air with an invisible mist that was identifiable threw the heat waves rising. Gohan and the Super Saiyan reappeared, the larger fighter attacking first. He flew at the young Saiyan, closing the small gap between them and threw flurries of slow, but powerful punches at him. Even though they were slow compared to Gohan's they were still quick. In response, the young Saiyan attacked back, avoiding his blows while retaliating. The two of them managed to avoid, block and evade their opponent's attacks, countering with their own. You could see the force of impacts of colliding fists and kicks bursting all over them. Their brawl only lasted for a few more seconds before they flashed into super speed again, disappearing into a battle no ordinary person could follow.

Moments later, after vicious assaults had been made by both fighters, Gohan reappeared. He flipped through the air after materializing from super speed and landed on solid ground. Beside a freshly made crater that had been punched in from the force of one of the rebounding shock waves, the young Saiyan fell back, retreating quickly along the ground, backwards. His opponent reappeared as well, fazing into view and floating down, left side turned to Gohan and stiffed into a straight standing position. When he spotted his opponent, he gritted his teeth and glared, turning towards the Saiyan child as he landed. Gohan's own teeth were gritted, eyes narrowed down on the unknown Saiyan. After stopping, he quickly back flipped away to put more distance between them. Landing after that back flip, he dropped into a Tiger Claw stance, his feet spread wide and balanced with his arms stretched out, hands clawed. His Super Saiyan opponent turned fully towards him, head dipping and eyes overshadowing. When he saw the child's stance, he brought his fists up, powering up. A gust of wind from energy force burst out from underneath him, dust hurling into the air and his clothes ruffling. Gohan tightened his scowl, watching his opponent float off the ground slowly. After reaching a certain height, the large Super Saiyan let out a roar and charged. He flashed through the air reaching his opponent in seconds. Gohan was more then ready for this.

He slid underneath and around the large Saiyan, who had kicked straight out with his left foot in a side, flying kick. After slipping around, Gohan leapt to hover at his height above the ground and sent a right roundhouse kick aimed at his opponent. The Super Saiyan, though it seemed impossible, zapped into super speed before his kick could land. Gohan ended up hitting nothing and growled in frustration, wheeling around, only to be slammed across the face by a fist coming out of nowhere. His surprisingly quick opponent was sporting a grin as he floated in front of him; his left fist sent hooking across the young Saiyan's face. Gohan, though knocked senseless, easily recovered and retaliated, spinning around in the direction he was falling. Using his momentum from the Super Saiyan's blow across his face, he brought his left leg around and slammed it across his opponent's face. It actually connected, knocking his attacker into a similar state. After that, Gohan back flipped and landed, bringing both his hands up and firing a blast at the fighter at close range. His attack struck the guy in the stomach, digging in a bit before exploding, smoke wafting up into his face. The best Gohan did with that blast was push him back slightly and knocked him off his feet. With the smoke clouding the damage, the Super Saiyan warrior glared up, growling in anger. Gohan frowned, suddenly being forced to jump high into the air when his opponent swooped at him, sending a right hook aimed for his midsection. The young Saiyan easily evaded and powered up, shooting up into the skies like a rocket. His opponent glanced behind him skywards, gritting his teeth before giving chase.

The two of them weaved through the air, one chasing the other. Swooping close to the ground, Gohan, who had dropped his aura, spun around so he was flying backwards. Up high in the sky, surrounded by his golden shield, was his opponent. The Super Saiyan closed in fast, his speed matching his strength. Throwing his right hand forward, the warrior unleashed a barrage of green energy balls. These attacks soared for Gohan, who was flying low across the ground. The young Saiyan yelled and took evasive maneuvers, moving from left to right and about to avoid the rain of energy attacks. After smacking a couple of them away, he threw his left hand back and then threw it forward, firing off another blue energy blast. The stream of energy flew at his opponent, who reacted in kind by bringing his right hand back and throwing his left hand out. Through this energy increase in his forward charge, his shield intensified. The blast struck the gold barrier, exploding without any effect.

After the blast exploded, the shield lowered, and the Super Saiyan pulled his left hand back. The same charging up effect occurred, the area around him turning green and retracting into his palm. The charge was quick, and when the green ball of energy appeared in his hand, he pitched it forward. The ball of energy hooked through the air and then curved downwards, striking the ground ahead of Gohan. The young Saiyan was forced to slow his flight, curling into a ball and spinning, still flying backwards as the massive explosion behind him erupted. A mushroom cloud appeared in the sky, the green fire ball still growing. Gohan flew straight through it, only getting graved by the flames before he landed, skidding along the ground. While still sliding along the ground, he cupped his hands behind him, a blue ball of energy forming in his palms. Gritting his teeth, he yelled, "KAAaaa…MEEeee…HAAaaa…MEEeee…HAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" and threw his hands forward. The blast shot out of his grip with tremendous force, which continued to push him along. All the while, the energy continued to poor out of his hands and into the attack. It shot through the fiery smoke from the explosion he had just passed. It ripped through, punching a huge hole into the cloud. His opponent didn't see the attack coming, and when he did, he barely had enough time to move to the side and watch it fly past him and into space.

That moment's distraction was too long for his case. Flashing into focus using teleportation, Gohan appeared at his left side and flew at him, left hand pulled back. Just as the Super Saiyan was turning, Gohan slammed his fist across the warrior's face. The blow, increased in strength by momentum, staggered the Super Saiyan, allowing Gohan to flip back before the warrior could recover. When he did, he turned around, facing Gohan. He had blood leaking out of both corners of his mouth, a very monotone look on his face. Suddenly, he smirked and licked the blood away that leaked out from his mouth. Gohan was disgusted none to say the least.

"Eew! That is completely unnecessary, disgusting!" Gohan shouted, only to fall silent when the Super Saiyan drifted back and swung his right hand around. Green energy formed around him and sucked itself into his open palm. With the appearance of the green energy ball in his grasp, he threw his hand forward, unleashing an entire barrage of small ki blasts. Gohan identified it as a sweeping cluster attack, and fell back fast as the barrage of energy balls shot at him. When he realized he couldn't out run them, he decided to divert them.

As the attack flew at him, he powered up, his blue aura exploding around him with a galling wind like shockwave. His aura expanded and grew to a huge size. As the energy blasts soared at him, they were suddenly sucked into the tornado funnel like energy, whirling around safely from each other. Gohan kept them at spaces and made sure they were at equal intervals from each other. The rest that swept past him blew up on the ground. His opponent was certainly surprised by this move. Now having gained control over many of the cluster balls, Gohan turned to his right and raised his right hand towards the Super Saiyan. Then, with his target in sight, he began launching the energy balls back at the owner one at a time. The small ki blasts hooked through the air, approaching their previous owner. To further complicate it, Gohan didn't leave it in that pattern and increased the speed or fired one at a different time as another. This left the Saiyan warrior stricken, having to power up a shield to block all of the attacks coming at him. The blasts exploded against his shield ineffectively, ending with Gohan using up all the ammo supplied to him. He lowered his aura and his hand.

The two warriors then glared at each other, remaining suspended in their positions in mid-air. Neither of them said a word, and just floated in silence. Smoke continued to rise into the air, blackening the already cloudy skies. The damages that had been inflicted upon these lands were standing fresh, all thanks to these two. But the main cause was the mysterious Super Saiyan, whom Gohan did not know. He didn't even know his name.

At this point, he felt that some questions needed to be answered…

"Who are you?!" he asked loudly. "What are you doing on this planet?"

The warrior smirked, eyes twitching with blood still leaking out of the corner of his mouth. He chuckled, yet did not make any gestures as he spoke in a rough voice. "Why?! Well, that's easy…to destroy it! Just like hundreds of others…I'd like to add this one to my list!" Gohan scowled tighter. That really didn't explain much. What were his true intentions?

"Well that makes perfect sense!" Gohan replied sarcastically. "But you didn't answer my first question!" he continued. The Saiyan warrior grinned.

"Fine then! My name is Broly…the Legendary Super Saiyan! And I'm just on a killing spree today, so if you don't mind, I'd like to end this now so I can go after Kakarot!!!" the Super Saiyan stated. Gohan furrowed his brow.

"Why are you after my father?" the young Saiyan pressured. Broly chuckled.

"No reason…just want to be rid of him for what he did to me! But since his son is here, I think I'll eradicate you first!" The Super Saiyan declared, powering up so that his shield expanded around him. Gohan shook his head, eyes flashing.

"You disgust me…" he retorted, dropping down so that he landed. Broly stared after him, grinning wildly with his aura flaring around him. He followed suit, while replying to his comment.

"I do what needs to be done," the Super Saiyan exclaimed. "What do you expect…from a true freak!" Broly then burst out into fits of laughter, his cold voice echoing over the surrounding hillsides and valleys. Gohan heard this and landed on some uneven ground, glaring up and watching his opponent float down and land some distance away. He was still laughing madly, thoroughly amused. Well, it only meant one thing to Gohan, the guy was nuts.

While they stood in their positions at 50 meters apart from each other, Gohan took a good readout of his power. He knew the guy was a Super Saiyan, but he had to find out what was causing this insanity of his. As he was taking notes down of Broly's ki, he suddenly discovered an incredible magnitude of power underneath this form he was in. It shocked Gohan beyond belief at how far it exceeded his. It also explained the strange ki signature and energy attacks the Saiyan had. Moments later, he was brought back into the real world, hearing Broly's laughter still going on. Gohan glared at him, gritting his teeth and tightening his fists. Golden electricity suddenly began crackling around him as his energy rose, not just from anger, but from nervousness.

"_This guy's strong…really strong,"_ Gohan thought, his eyes narrowing further. _"His power has corrupted his mind. No wonder he's mad. Argh…"_ the young Saiyan cursed at himself. His muscles tensed, beads of sweat running down his forehead. The laughter in the background was dwarfed by the bolts of electricity sizzling around him. Gohan thought hard, trying to find a solution to this problem. He looked down at his fist, seeing it trembling with currents of electrical energy running up and down it. His brow furrowed in thought. _"I…I guess I'm going to have to use it! It's do or die now! I was planning on saving it for Cell, but this guy is an even bigger problem! If I don't kill him now, then this entire planet is history!"_ he glared back up, seeing the Super Saiyan warrior stop laughing and glare at him with that sinister grin. Gohan took a firmer stance, arms out in powering up positions. Golden energy flames began whirling around him, floating upwards as his energy level soared.

"_Here goes nothing…"_

Powering up, Gohan let out a long, loud yell that echoed into the distance, the energy flames around him transforming into an aura. Then, as golden electricity transformed into a miniature lightning storm around him, he transformed. In an explosion of power and a shock wave, Gohan flashed into his ascended Saiyan form. His hair spiked straight up, standing on end as it flashed pure gold. A single bang of hair hung down over his forehead and his eyes flashed turquoise. The once golden lightning storm transformed into a bio field of blue electricity, which shot out around him. Within moments, his transformation was complete, his energy level reaching all new levels. When he was done, he glared down, seeing Broly looking at him in surprise.

Gohan had transformed to the next level of Super Saiyan…Super Saiyan 2!

"The game's over Broly!" Gohan shouted. "Prepare yourself!!!"

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	29. Legendary Super Saiyan Vanquished

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Legendary Super Saiyan Vanquished!_

Broly saw Gohan's transformation to Super Saiyan 2 and felt the young Saiyan's ki sky rocket beyond the level he was situated at now. It was only then when he felt his anger and frustration well up inside of him anew, Broly's fists balling and all amusement he felt washed away by the feel of this new threat to him. Gohan glared at his opponent, eyes firmly locked with Broly, who was returning his glare with a hateful stare of his own. The guy was just fuming where he stood on that unstable ground. The thing is it was his opponent's anger that made Gohan nervous. For starters, the guy was completely out of control, and second, his ki continued to grow every time he fought or antagonized Broly. He was truly a real danger to this planet.

Around Gohan the earth crumbled, hillsides turning to rubble with wind picking up debris and dust. His fierce, golden aura continued to warp around him with blue electricity and lightning crackling around him. The scene seemed to have darkened in the seconds that past, leaving them in a staring contest under the cloudy skies. But it was not to last…

Just as Broly was trembling with fits of pent up rage, the Super Saiyan suddenly pulled through into an amazing power up! His present expression broke into that of pained anger, eyes widening and mouth gaping, as he threw his head back and released a terrible cry, scream that echoed far and wide. With it, his ki sky rocketed, growing and growing until it became bottled up in his form. Just as his energy level rose, his body suddenly began to split and crack in all places. It was through this process did beams of green light begin shooting out of the cracks and spaces forming all over him. The forces of gravity upon him lifted as his hair and clothes blew upwards from a coursing energy coming out from underneath him. His muscles bulged and grew, filled with the strength and energy of his transformation. It looked as though he was going to explode, and that's just what happened. His skin was blown free as his energy overloaded and burst out of him. When it did, a green, fiery shield expanded around him and burst outwards. This was immediately followed by more, similar energy waves. With each wave, the color of the surrounding environment changed, from normal, to purple, to green, to grey. Then, as a last wave of energy past, the surroundings turned dark and stormy, the skies filled with dark clouds, creating a very dank, cold environment. Moments later, silence fell, giving way to a new warrior.

Broly's transformation was intense, leaving with him an unstable atmosphere. But that wasn't what concerned Gohan. Even though he continued to glare at the Super Saiyan, the young Saiyan was shocked to feel the power now radiating off of him. Looking out at the transformed warrior standing in a crater formed by the explosion of his energy, Gohan could clearly see the immediate changes made to him. Not only has his energy level risen to an outstanding level, but he had doubled in size, with his muscles now incredibly bulky, even bigger then Mirai's when in Ultra Super Saiyan Grade 3. To add to it, his aura, now no longer gold was green, same as his hair. Further more, his eyes were now plain white, with no irises or pupils to be seen. His transformation was incredible, but the result was the most terrible of the whole process.

Growling as his energy warped around him, the now bulky Super Saiyan smirked and glared back down at his opponent. The two super powered Saiyans glared each other down, both of them not backing down a step. After making note of both their power levels at this point, Broly grinned and pointed at Gohan, that one movement making his ki level jump. Gohan flinched as the Legendary Super Saiyan laughed.

"I'll teach you the meaning of pain…" Broly hissed. Gohan dropped into a fighting stance, his aura picking up in rate of warp. More lightning shot out of him, flashing past his eyes.

"We'll see who's the strongest here Broly!" Gohan replied. "I'm sorry, but I cannot allow you to destroy this planet!" The Legendary Super Saiyan laughed loudly, his chilling voice sending shivers down the young Super Saiyan 2's spine.

"Pitiful!" Broly spat at the young Saiyan's attempted declaration. "I'll end your suffering!"

With a bellowing yell and a roar of power, Broly's green aura exploded around him, accompanied by his shield, which had transformed into a green barrier instead of a golden one. In an impressive display of power, the Legendary Super Saiyan took off and flew straight up, the ground collapsing beneath him. After an even bigger crater had been punched into the ground, it transformed into rubble and debris, massive cracks splitting up the earth on which they stood. With the very force produced by his take off, the rubble and broken up ground began to lift off of the ground and float into the sky. To accompany this, pillars of rock shot up from the ground, making it even more unstable. Gohan was not going to let Broly gain the upper hand yet. He sprinted forward across the crumbling earth before pushing off the ground, flying after him with equal force applied to his take off. Rubble drifted up after him as well, but would soon fall back to the ground when the field of energy lifted.

The two of them locked horns, with Gohan making the first strike. He hurled himself directly at the massive Super Saiyan, seeing him approaching in kind after gaining a high altitude. Just as they were within reach of each other, a green light flashed around Broly as a thin, bubble like shield appeared. Not worrying about the energy shield and confident he could overcome it, Gohan charged his opponent without a second thought and threw a powerful, right punch aimed for the Saiyan's head. His momentum and attack was halted as his fist came in contact with the shield. Even with the strength applied to the punch, it wasn't strong enough to break through the barrier. Broly sniggered, powering up. Just then, his shield exploded. The blast expanded outwards and knocked Gohan back. As a result, the young Saiyan fell with a yell of shock, his form spinning out of control. With this sudden counter measure, the child's aura had dissipated the moment he was struck down by the blast of the exploding shield, but he still had the blue electric currents crackling around him.

Flipping through the air, Gohan corrected himself into an upright position and slowed his fall. Still drifting back due to the momentum he had gained from being blasted away, the young Saiyan glared up at his opponent, eyes flashing and a serious scowl in place. Broly laughed maniacally, bringing his right hand back and charging up his signature _Blaster Shell_ attack. Green energy was sucked into his palm, an orb of deadly, raw power appearing. With a warrior like roar, he threw it forward, sending it curving through the air and hurling at Gohan. The young Saiyan growled through bared teeth, sensing the immediate level of energy placed into that one blast. If he allowed it to hit the planet's surface, it would sink the entire island they were on, or very well destroy the planet. With a yell of anger, he rushed forward and brought his right arm about, hand over his left shoulder. A lot of effort went into this next blow. He chopped out at the blast, shattering it when he struck its side. Pieces of energy shards flew everywhere, with some of them flying back at its owner. Broly smirked, watching the pieces fly by him and disappear. When his blast failed, he disappeared into super speed, closely followed by Gohan. Moments later, sonic booms and shockwaves began ripping through the sky at an amazing rate. The explosions of force continuously moved from one area to another, indicating the two warriors were flying around at ultra high speeds, beyond the sights of others. These shockwaves were seen going off everywhere, accompanied by flashes of blue electricity. When it appeared that this fight was only going to take place in the skies, it suddenly moved down to earth as well. Seven massive craters were punched into the ground with two blurs zapping in and out of focus with the appearance of these landmarks. Shockwaves continued ringing out in the skies and along the ground, these shockwaves punching craters into the earth one after another.

After a minute had past, with the fight raging on into a new height, the two fighters finally reappeared. Gohan reappeared landing on the ground, the earth crumbling beneath him and turning into rubble. As the unstable surface began giving way, the young Saiyan spun around, right hand held up with his left fist pulled back, his defensive stance coming into focus. He gritted his teeth, his glaring up into the sky. It was when he turned round did he see Broly appear directly in front of him, an angered expression crossing his face. With a yell, Broly pulled his right fist back and sent it forward. Gohan had just enough time to leap into the air and jump over Broly when the massive fist came down at him. The blow struck the ground where the young Saiyan once stood, a shockwave rippling out on impact. The ground continued collapsing under the might of the two super human…err…Super Saiyan warriors. Gohan spun around as he flew up through the air, bringing his right fist up. Blue beams of light shot out of the spaces made by his fingers before he threw his hand forward, throwing a hand full of ki shards at his opponent. Broly was just glancing behind him when he saw the blue, glass like shards flying at him. He did nothing to defend himself or avoid them as the shards fell on and around him. A series of fiery explosions occurred, the massive blasts engulfing the Legendary Super Saiyan in a fiery hell. Gohan saw his attack strike and moved back as the blast radius of the napalm effective attack expanded and stretched out. He managed to avoid it just barely.

Back flipping through the air, Gohan landed. The ground beneath him cracked and split, forming a crater upon his touch down. Electricity sizzled around him as he took a stance, glaring into the raging fires in front of him. He figured that his _Flamethrower_ attack had no effect on his opponent, despite its ferocity. Given proof was the appearance of a dark shadow emerging from the fires. The figure within the fire floated off the ground several feet before the raging fires suddenly parted, revealing Broly floating in a green, protective shield. He grinned as he glared at Gohan through the flames flickering by and around him. The appearance of his opponent made the young Saiyan growl in frustration. After seeing Broly smirk, he threw both his hands out at the super powered villain. Instantaneously, a blue blast of energy shot out of his palms and straight at his opponent. Broly gave no way to weakness and leapt up into the air, avoiding it as it ripped through the air, past his previous position. When he leapt into the air, he turned his attention fully on the young Saiyan again before charging, using super speed as an advantage. Gohan was quick to act on the incoming threat and leapt backwards through the air, just in time to see Broly appear on the ground where he once stood, right fist slamming into the ground. The Legendary Super Saiyan missed, but only just.

Gohan spun as he flew back, halting himself seconds later. With that done, he then hurled himself forward, electricity crackling around him as he charged at Broly. The Legendary Super Saiyan was getting to his feet just as Gohan was coming down at him. Glaring up, the Legendary Super Saiyan saw Gohan bring his left fist about and, with a yell, threw a hook at his face. Broly received the powerful blow, but his head only moved slightly with no pain felt. It was like trying to hit a brick wall for Gohan, a shockwave ringing out on the impact of his fist. The young Saiyan's knuckles buried into Broly's right cheek, only to be pulled back when there had been no damage percentage applied. The Legendary Super Saiyan grinned after the fist was removed, leaving Gohan stunned. Taking his lapse in attention as an advantage, Broly brought his left fist up and threw a punch at his opponent. The blow landed clean on across the young Saiyan's face, Gohan letting out a yell of pain as he was knocked senseless and staggered. The Legendary Super Saiyan then floated up, throwing a right hook across his opponent's face and then a left upper cut, all of them aimed for the child's head. This combination was followed up by a powered up, right down strike, a left upper cut and then a right hook. These blows were swift, powerful and precise, all of them managing to stagger Gohan before he was knocked flying by the last hook. The young Saiyan spun out of control as he hurled backwards through the air, yelling at the top of his lungs.

Seeing his target slipping into the distance, Broly smirked and brought his left hand up a bit. With his palm open and fingers extended, he fired off a barrage of green energy balls. The attacks soared through the air after their disabled target, closing in on him fast. Gohan wasn't about to get beat again. So flipping back into position, he halted himself sharply and returned to a defensive stance, watching the energy balls heading towards him. He glowered, waiting for a moment till they were within range. When they were, he began deflecting them in all directions, backslapping them. After the entire barrage of 10 ki balls were dispensed with, Gohan turned back to the main task. He saw Broly still floating in the distance in front of the raging fires he had drifted out of. He calculated his opponent to be at least 300 meters away. So, he prepared to attack. But just as he had dropped into a fighting stance, he saw Broly disappear and then reappear directly in front of him, charging. Gohan gasped, and wasn't quick enough to act when the Legendary Super Saiyan suddenly elbowed him in the stomach, sending him flying again. This time, instead of watching his opponent fly off, Broly pursued.

He appeared above Gohan, sending punishing blows into him as he continued hurling backwards through the air. The young Saiyan, managing to hold his own, took the painful blows, from elbows, to knees, to over hooked punches. The large Super Saiyan, though lacking in style and art technique, as well as being overly big, was with no doubt strong and fast. After several more blows as the two of them flew on, Broly then decided to finish this battle. He grabbed Gohan's right leg with his right hand, swinging the young Saiyan about and throwing him straight down towards the ground. Gohan crashed head on, forming a massive crater with the very force of impact. The unstable ground also continued to crumble, the earth being unable to handle the power from both warriors. The young Saiyan disappeared amongst the rubble that piled on top of him as he became buried by the soft ground. Broly grinned, bringing his right hand back and powering up his signature move. With the green ball of energy formed, he pitched it forward, the energy ball shooting straight into the centre of the crater where Gohan sunk into. There was a flash of light and a bolt of blue electricity when the energy ball suddenly exploded, erupting into a green fireball that consumed a whole area with radius of 500 meters. When the ball of fire appeared, it then burst out, energy lost and deforming into a cloud of black smoke that shaped into a mushroom cloud. With that, Broly let out a howling, evil laugh. The destruction he had given way too left a path of crumbling earth, from what you could see. Even the atmosphere was feeling the wrath of the Legendary Super Saiyan, the grey clouds shooting out lightning and gales of wind.

But then, just as Broly was moving into a new fit of laughter, he suddenly saw the centre of the newly formed, smoking crater below, explode. A golden aura appeared, burning fiercely with blue currents of electricity surrounding it. His laughter ceased then and there, his expression looking surprised. He heard a bellowing yell that grew with volume as the aura intensified, and then, in a show of force, a whole ton of rubble was blown away, the crater torn apart as Gohan surfaced again. Still in Super Saiyan 2, the battle scarred warrior glared up at his opponent, seeing him glaring back in surprise. Gohan's clothes were a wreck, his entire top gone, revealing his muscular form underneath. He still had his sword strapped around him, as well as his pendant hanging around his neck, plus his gi pants were still good, except with tears around the knees. He was also really damaged out the outside as well: bruises, cuts, burns and scrapes donned all over his top half and face, blood leaking out of the corner of his mouth and forehead, which had a really deep, cut bruise. Even so, he was still fighting strong. Reaching up with his right hand, he wiped away the trickle of blood and took in a breath of air before raising his power level. The aura around him shrunk down to regular, but flared dangerously. With that, he disappeared into super speed. Broly growled and followed, also powering up and taking to super speed.

More shockwaves then began to ring out, another brawl springing up between the two. They flew through the air at amazing speeds, speeds beyond a normal person's sight. You couldn't even see any blurs, or any form of the two Super Saiyan warriors. All there was to be seen was the series of sonic explosions ringing out throughout the skies. The skies trembled beneath their might and the ground on which they stood upon crumbled. If this fight wasn't decided soon, then the entire earth might as well collapse.

Reappearing in mid-flight, Gohan charged forward, teeth gritted and a serious expression in play. At the very moment he appeared, he disappeared into super speed again. The same went for Broly; he blurred into focus but then vanished a split second later. The two of them had sighted one another and were charging, hurling through the air before connecting elbows in the centre. A massive shockwave rang out, accompanied by sparks of electricity as the two locked themselves in that position. Broly has his left elbow held out, just like Gohan. The two of them glared at each other, the Legendary Super Saiyan smirking whereas the weaker, Super Saiyan 2 hero bit tooth and nail to hold his position. Just as the two attacked, they then flashed into super speed, leaving no trace of them behind. More shockwaves came, explosions moving through the sky and then towards the ground far below.

Seconds into this mode of fight, there was a boom of thunder and a flash of lightning that shot down towards the earth. Well…it was thought to have been lightning. But then, that bolt of electricity turned out to be Gohan, who suddenly appeared on the ground where the lightning bolt struck. Dropped into a fighting stance, he glared up into the sky, seeing his opponent also make a surprise appearance. Broly was charging straight at him, left hand held forward and right hand held back. But just as it appeared he would be continuing on this trek, the area around him turned green and the energy was sucked into his right hand. Clenching his fist, he threw his attack forward, throwing another _Blaster Shell_ energy ball straight down at Gohan. This one ripped through the air, hurling in a straight line for its target. It was a good follow through though. Gohan growled and placed his hands at his forehead, one on top of the other. With a quick power up, even though his aura didn't spring up around him (except for the field of electricity around him that intensified with his energy rise), a golden orb of energy formed in his forward palm. When his attack was charged, he threw both hands forward, yelling, "MASENKO HAAAAAAAA!!!!!!" The yellow blast shot out from his grasp, impacting at close quarters with Broly's attack and locking in a tug-of-war match between the two. Seconds later, after a brief battle to over power the other, with no avail, the two attacks exploded! The flash of light and colossal force of the exploding energy attacks blinded all views of the damages made. It was replaced by a cloud of smoke, accompanied by a shower of sparks.

Broly floated up high, glaring down at the explosion that had just occurred. He knew his opponent was alright, but he didn't do anything just yet. A moment later, as the cloud of smoke began to lift, Gohan shot out of it, aura flaring to full capacity to increase his speed. With a yell, he flew up at Broly, right hand held out. The Legendary Super Saiyan responded by throwing his left hand out at his approaching opponent, a green energy ball appearing and growing. A golden ball of energy formed in Gohan's forward hand and, just as they came within striking distance, they both fired their blasts at each other, only for the two attacks to squish into each other and explode. The two of them were caught within the blast radius, yet weren't affected in the least. Floating out of the cloud of smoke, Gohan yelled and spun about in the air, launching a backwards roundhouse kick at his opponent. Broly also came into view, holding up his right arm and blocking the kick. He retaliated by then moving forward and throwing a jab at Gohan. By the time Broly attacked, the young Saiyan warrior was already backing into a stance, meaning he was able to catch the incoming fist in two hands and hold it in place. The smoke around them was blown away, thanks to the force they both displayed and unleashed.

Gohan pushed Broly's fist away and hurled at him, bringing his right fist up and throwing it across his opponent's face. Broly received the punch, with the same effect occurring just like last time. The young Saiyan managed to draw his fist back and then come at his opponent with a left roundhouse kick, sending it across his face. Like hitting a brick wall again, it didn't work, only making his head move to the side a bit. The blows, though precise and effective, were still nothing against the Legendary Super Saiyan. But Gohan wasn't going to give up yet. He moved forward, spinning around and sending a side kick at Broly's face, which struck home but didn't stagger him. After which the young Saiyan kicked off of his opponent and flew back, raising his right hand towards the large Super Saiyan and fire a basic ki blast. Broly caught the blast in his hand, absorbed it into a ball and then crushed it, expression serious. Then with a yell, he brought his right hand back and threw it forward, unleashing a rare to be seen ki blast. The large blast expanded in size as it flew at Gohan, to who flew around it to avoid its deadly spearhead. As it continued to rip through the air from its source, Gohan flew up the length of the attack, getting to the user of the attack as fast as possible. Broly looked up in surprise, seeing his opponent fly at him and then leap higher into the air in his attack path. Bringing his right hand back, Gohan charged up his signature move: a ball of blue, sparkling energy forming in his grasp. Using his momentum to launch his attack, the young Saiyan pivoted through the air and threw his hand forward, unleashing his attack with a yell, "DAISENKO HAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!"

The blast consumed Broly in its burning blue effects, enveloping him and continuing on with an explosion. The tremendous explosion that impacted against the target had some backlash, knocking its user back who looked up in shock. Broly's blast had dissipated at the launch of his attack, but the only problem was he was still alive. The smoke cleared, revealing the Legendary Super Saiyan floating in the same spot as usual, smirking wildly without a scratch. He chuckled evilly, eyes shimmering.

Gohan floated back, watching as his opponent took a stance in preparation for his next assault. Broly powered up, laughing loudly as he applied all his energy into a forward barrier. A green flash of light occurred as his shield shot up around him and, like a wild bull, he shot forward with a roar of anger. He tackled Gohan full on with his shield, his knee driving forward to making his attack more effective. The blow was enough to knock Gohan flying back, the young Saiyan letting out a cry of agony as he was blown away. Broly grinned, stopping and watching his opponent plummet to his doom. Holding his left hand up towards his target, green energy appeared and was sucked into his palm, forming that familiar, green energy ball. Clenching his fist, he brought his left hand back and then threw it forward, unleashing his attack. The green ball of energy flew at Gohan, who was able to spot it out of the corner of his eye and senses. He quickly spun backwards and halted himself in an upright position, able to watch the attack hurl towards him. With a growl, he reached back with both hands and, making use of this move, unsheathed his sword. The quick movements that followed ensured his and the planet's survival, as he sliced Broly's attack in two. The flash of his blade was all that was seen as the two halves disintegrated into particles, leaving no trace of it left. With another flash and a quick spin, Gohan sheathed his weapon back into his scabbard. Broly scowled down at the young Saiyan, seeing him return to a proper standing position.

"Your persistence is annoying…" With that said, Broly powered up and flew straight down at Gohan throwing a left jab at him. The young Saiyan fazed into super speed and appeared several yards away to Broly's left. The Legendary Super Saiyan continued his assault, pursuing the young Saiyan. This time when he reached him, he threw a right hook, only for Gohan to blur out of focus. Because of Broly's lack of balance and proper technique, he staggered forward with that hook when he ended up missing his target.

Gohan reappeared behind him, rearing his left leg back and taking a proper, balanced position. When Broly turned around, he ended up getting kicked across the face. The blow caused a shockwave, electricity crackling off of the Legendary Super Saiyan's cheek where he was hit. With a grin in response to his opponent's attack, Broly fisted his left hand and sent it at Gohan, striking him straight in the face. The young Saiyan cried in agony from the blow and was sent staggering back through the air. Broly honed in on his assault, throwing a right, straight punch into Gohan's stomach and then a left punch into his stomach again. Instead of bringing his fist back, he opened up his palm and fired an energy ball at close range. The explosion that rang out was tremendous, almost tearing up Gohan inside and out as he was hurled back through the air, spinning out of control. As he fell, he was able to recover, and despite suffering third degree burns around his mid-section, was able to counterattack. Sighting his opponent floating in the same spot where he was blasted away, Gohan threw both his hands forward and, without the need for a fully concentrated power up, fired off his _Scattered Volley Shot._ A series of golden ki blasts shot out of his palms, soaring through the air and straight for his opponent. Broly grinned as he watched the barrage approach him.

Throwing his right hand back, he threw it forward, unleashing a energy slash as a surprise attack. The green streak of energy flew threw the air and collided head on with the barrage of energy blasts. Several of the blasts exploded from being cut, with some of them continuing on. The energy slash Broly unleashed however shot down at Gohan, who was able to push himself to the side using his energy to avoid it. The attack impacted with the planet's surface, cutting a clean crevice into the ground. Gohan was in shock. Broly was able to deflect the other energy blasts that came at him, and after dispensing with them, brought his left hand back and threw it forward, sending another energy slash down at his target. Gohan was on track again with the fight, flying up at full speed to meet his opponent. As he flew on, he saw the energy slash attacks Broly was sending down at him, these ones as effective as his with his sword. Despite the comparisons, they were still very deadly so Gohan began avoiding them, first one, then another and then another. These slash attacks struck the ground Gohan had left behind, carving good marks into the earth's surface, which began to crumble and turn into rubble after a while.

Broly fired away, not letting up one bit. All the while, his laughter filled the air, making Gohan frustrated at his inability to handle him. So, as a precaution, to avoid getting sliced into pieces, the young Saiyan reached back for his sword, avoiding another energy slash as he went along. Broly laughed louder, throwing another, highly concentrated attack. The streak of energy shot at its target at an amazing speed, but Gohan was able to avoid it. From here, he powered up, aura flaring wildly as he increased speed. He shot up at the Legendary Super Saiyan at full speed, teeth gritted. Broly then sent another energy slash at him, watching to see what he'll do. In a flash of blue, Broly's attack was suddenly broken by Gohan's own energy slash. The two energy attacks struck each other, shattering into energy shards and no less, all strength in them gone. With no more obstacles left to face, Gohan flew on full speed, sword drawn. The large Super Saiyan chuckled and pulled back his right hand, powering up and flying at his opponent to meet him. With both of them on equal grounds, they struck out, the sound of a metallic slash ringing out. The two warriors flew past each other, Gohan's sword held out in front of him and Broly's right hand thrown forward.

The two of them stopped and turned around. Gohan twirled his weapon in his hand and stopped, holding it in a cool pose position with the blade directed at his opponent. Broly turned around too, dropped in his basic horse riding stance. When he did, the two of them waited, nothing happening so far. But a few seconds later, it was revealed what had happened in that split second flash as the two struck at each other at the same time. A red, deep gash appeared on Broly's chest, whereas a small cut appeared on Gohan's left cheek. Both of them had hit, yet it was clear Gohan's strike was the most effective. The Legendary Super Saiyan glanced down in surprise, seeing trickles of blood leak out of the fresh gash in his front. It stung for a bit, but then eased up. Wiping his hand over his wound, the large Super Saiyan glanced down at his fingers, seeing them stained with his own red essence. After a gasp of shock, he growled angrily and clenched his fist, glaring back up at his opponent to see Gohan glaring back with equal fury burning in his eyes.

"It's over you monster!" Gohan shouted. "Give it up!"

Broly growled, and then grinned, bringing his right hand back again. His power seemed to rise with that little movement, his aura bursting up around him. "Monster? No…you're wrong!" Broly hissed. "I AM A GOD!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" the crazed Saiyan laughed. Gohan flinched, retaining his stance. Suddenly, in a quick surprise attack, the Legendary Super Saiyan threw his right hand out and up, unleashing another energy slash. The attack curved through the air, forcing Gohan to dive down. Dropping quickly out of the skies, the young Saiyan headed towards the ground, landing on solid earth seconds after his evasion. When he did, he glared up, seeing Broly floating up high and laughing maniacally.

"Do you think I'm going to get beaten by a whelp like you!?" Broly shouted, fisting his hands and taking a powering up stance. His green aura exploded around him, accompanied his powerful, unbreakable shield. Both expanded at a phenomenal rate, sizzling with green lightning that shot around him. "I…the Legendary Super Saiyan, beaten by someone insignificant like you? HA! _Your_ final hour has arrived, not mine! So prepare to die!!!"

Gohan frowned and furrowed his brow more, gripping his sword in both hands and swinging it back around so that it pointed behind him towards the ground. He took up a balanced, firm stance, one recognized as the stance taken before he released his signature move. But that seemed impossible now. Glaring up into the sky, the young Saiyan saw Broly's shield and aura contract and form a powerful barrier around him. With this combination locked, he let out a warrior like yell and dove down, charging at Gohan at full speed. The Super Saiyan 2 warrior didn't waver for a bit. Powering up as well, his aura springing up around him accompanied by bolts of blue electricity, the young Saiyan focused on his goal. Energy from his palms flowed into his sword's blade, illuminating it in a bright, blue glow. It grew stronger with each burst of energy sent into it, Broly approaching at an entirely different rate. Gohan had to act soon, because his opponent was closing in fast!

"_There's a first time for everything,"_ Gohan thought before bringing his sword up a bit, the blade now crackling with electricity. Gritting his teeth, he began to chant some familiar words. "DAAAAAaaaaaiiiii…SSEEEEEeeeeennnnn…KOOOOOooooooo…" The energy in his sword's blade suddenly came to life, shining ever more brightly. Broly, who was still on a high speed charge, was beginning to feel the overwhelming confidence of his victory when he saw what his opponent was doing now. The young Saiyan's sword caught his eye as he flew on, a look of surprising coming across his face. Gohan gritted his teeth, grip tightening. With a final pour of energy into his blade, the young Saiyan then threw his sword up, blade pointing directly at Broly. All at once, there was a bright flash of light and an explosion of incredible power as a blue blast shot forth from his sword's blade. Gohan's voice echoed the last verse to his chant, carrying with the attack he unleashed upon the approaching Legendary Super Saiyan. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!"

The blast ripped through the air, the ground around him tearing up from the very force of the attack. The earth crumbled and collapsed, rubble lifting off of the earth as the blast soared at its sighted target. Broly growled when he saw the powerful attack heading towards him. In response, he threw his right hand forward, his shield expanding and strengthening. Just then, the blast struck his shield and dug into it. Because of the equal forces between both the attack and the defense, it resulted into yet another tug-of-war. Gohan, biting tooth and nail to keep his energy outpour at a steady level, kept his opponent back with his blast. Broly on the other hand began pressuring the young Saiyan's attack, forcing it back with a good defensive.

Gohan growled, his feet digging into the earth with his arms still held up, shaking as he kept his sword in place. The amount of energy he was putting into the spearhead of his attack was immense, and it was hard for him to keep his own balance since he was pitted against an incredible force. Broly was also trying hard, putting all his effort into his shield to protect him from the attack. As he did so, he continued floating forward, finding it hard to with the opposing force. As this went on, the plateaus and hillsides around them turned to rubble and fell to the ground, as if kneeling before their might. The skies shook as well, a hurricane formation appearing above the two of them with lightning raining down onto the battlefield. To add to this, the planet itself shook.

Pouring more energy into his blast, Gohan's aura suddenly flashed pure gold, infusing with the very energy that escaped from his sword's blade. The electric currents that once created that bio field around him suddenly became a lightning storm. The bolts of electricity tore up the earth, burning it as more rubble and debris began lifting into the air. High speed, galling winds ripped through the surrounding area, creating an even more unstable environment. Powering up more, Gohan sent more energy into his attack, his whole body trembling with the effort. As hard as he tried, he found that he couldn't breach Broly's barrier. Even if he was creating a dent in it, he couldn't force him back. It was too much…

"_No…don't quit…DON'T QUIT ON ME NOW!!!"_ Gohan shouted in his mind. _"If I…if I let him win…then this…this entire planet and the millions of other planets…they'll…they'll all cease to exist!! He'll ravage this universe…killing billions! I CAN'T LET THAT HAPPEN!!! I WON'T LET THAT HAPPEN! If I do…then I would have failed everyone! I…will…not…LOOOOOOSSEEEEE!!!!"_

In an awesome display of fiery warrior spirit and strength, Gohan sent a huge portion of energy into his blast, his aura expanding and growing fiercer. With the amount of energy he pushed into the blast, a massive bulge of energy ran up the stream, striking the spear tip end and forcing Broly and his large energy shield back. It had expanded so rapidly, that inside was a perfectly good battlefield all on its own. To keep his last attack from destroying this landmass, Gohan would use this to his advantage. Leaving behind yet another huge amount of energy used for his blast, Gohan pulled his sword back and flew up. Using his blast as a road, he flew up, directly into the spear end of his attack. Driving forward, he broke into Broly's shield, his blast, though disconnected from a solid force, continued to pound Broly's shield. The Legendary Super Saiyan was astounded.

"WHAT!" he yelled, watching Gohan fly at him at full speed in shock.

No longer was the young Super Saiyan 2 bathing in a golden aura with currents of blue electricity in a bio field, but a pure blue aura, which flared as his own. His sword continued to shine as he charged, with Gohan racing at his over-powered opponent and readying to strike. Due to the child's energy increase thanks to his _Daisenko Sword Blast_, his strength was now reaching a phenomenal level equal to that of Broly's. But what shocked the Legendary Super Saiyan more was, not just his power, but the look of rage and fury burning in his eyes. Even though he was in Super Saiyan 2 and glowing in a fierce, pure blue aura, his turquoise irises were no longer visible. All there was, was white, just like Broly's eyes, only these were burning with determination and spirit.

Broly growled, flying at Gohan in kind and bringing his right fist back. "YOU SAIYAN TRASH!!!" he roared, throwing his fist forward as they both reached striking distance. In those split seconds, everything happened all at once. Broly struck out with his fist, only to miss his opponent who came in, burning fiercely in that blue glow. Then, with his increase and strength and speed, Gohan pulled his sword back and drove forward with both hands. The blade penetrated Broly's stomach, going straight through him with the tip emerging out the back. Red blood splattered everywhere, with the Legendary Super Saiyan also coughing up blood. Then, as Gohan repositioned himself with his sword still in his grasp and blade impaling his opponent, he spoke the last words Broly was to hear.

"I…won't…let…you…get away…WITH THIS…BROLY!!! DIE!!!" Gohan shouted. Then, using the same technique he used to halt Broly in his path, a blue energy blast shot forth from his sword's blade, pulsing wildly and tearing up the Super Saiyan's insides. With that, Broly, the last Legendary Super Saiyan of his kind, was sent packing. The blast lifted him off of Gohan's blade, his body sliding cleanly away as his energy was reduced to nothing. He was thrown skywards, shooting off like a missile along an assigned path. Pulled along by the energy blast, Broly disappeared into the distance. His cry of agony and rage was taken with him, and his energy shield disappeared.

Gohan's blast sent him up into the atmosphere and beyond, before the connection was served and the attack dissipated. With the close of this battle, the skies cleared and everything returned to normal. The grey and black clouds parted, revealing the clear blue beyond it. All that was left of this day and all the pain that had taken place was the battle torn lands stretching for 10 miles in every direction. Silence…

The survivor of these events and protector of earth, Gohan, was the only one left standing. Now back on solid ground, the Super Saiyan 2 warrior took in a deep breath of air and relaxed. Closing his eyes, he spun his sword in his grip and shoved it back into his sheath. When he returned his arms back to his sides, he fully relaxed, averting back to his base form. When he felt the strain lift off of him, he smiled and opened his eyes, looking up with a glimmer of delight. He was overly relieved that the battle was over.

"Man…how many Legendary Super Saiyan's would it take to beat me?" he asked himself. Even though the situation had been bleak, he couldn't help but laugh…

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_

* * *

_**Power levels:**_

**(Battle with Broly)**

**Broly:**

Base: 30,800,000

True Super Saiyan: 100,000,000

Legendary Super Saiyan: 3,000,000,000

**Gohan:**

Base: 95,000,000

Super Saiyan: 195,000,000

Super Saiyan 2: 375,000,000

Super Saiyan 2 (_Daisenko Sword Blast_ Power Up): 3,750,000,000


	30. A Girl Named Lime

**_Author's note:_**

Sorry about the last chapter. I should have noted the third power transformation Gohan had to beat Legendary Super Saiyan Broly, using the energy in his sword and Daisenko Ha attack to give him that power boost, increasing his Super Saiyan 2 powers by 10. Well, I edited it a bit more and added that powerlevel so you can see. And once again, sorry for the inconveniance. I hope this doesn't put anyone off from reading my story. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Merry Chirstmas.

**

* * *

**

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_A Girl Named Lime_

_**Same Day…**_

_**2 Hours later…**_

Mount Paoz continued to serve as perhaps one of the greenest, most peaceful places on this entire planet. Animals frolicked in the deep forests and birds sounded their calls of happiness, creating the song of life. It was a splendid harmony. However, above all of Mother Nature, nothing was enjoying these splendors more then one very familiar fighter. The residence that presided under the shadow of the mountains and in the light of the shining sun housed the local Son family members. At this moment, Goku was sitting in the living room at home, lying back on the cushiony sofa and reading a book he had found in Gohan's library. Chi-Chi was delighted that her husband was moving in a different direction for a change, rather then trying to go off and train some more. For once he was actually doing something off of his own accord.

Thumbing his way through the pages of the novel, the Super Saiyan warrior had taken quite a shine to this action genre, titled _Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark._ It was kind of ironic that he hadn't seen the movie yet? Even so, he wasn't complaining. As time ticked on, he hummed to himself as he went through page after page, picturing the entire story in his head. It looked like he was really enjoying himself. It was only the knock on the door and the sound of it creaking open was his attention drawn away from his story. Having been absent minded for some time from reality, he wasn't able to sense any energy signals outside his own household. As a result, Goku wasn't able to detect the fight that had taken place miles away, or feel the energy of his son approaching. The Saiyan got quite a surprise when he saw his son walking in, looking all beat up and bloodied. Gohan stopped at the archway leading from the hall he was in into the lounge room. From here, he glanced into the living room to see his father staring at him, wide eyed and blinking in surprise. The young Saiyan found his father's reaction to him quite puzzling.

"Gohan…?" Goku exclaimed. "W-What happened to you son? You look terrible! Have you been training yourself again?" the older Saiyan asked. Gohan raised an eyebrow and looked down at his present state. He finally spotted the problem. His wrecked clothes and battered up body were pure signs of a conflict _he _had gotten involved with. Shaking his head with a smile and a chuckle, he looked back up at his father.

"Would you believe me if I said that a Legendary Super Saiyan named Broly came down to earth to find you, but ran into me instead, and after a furious battle it ended up me killing him?" Gohan asked. His father remained silent, processing the information that was sent to him in that one breath. It came at him faster then he could move. After a few seconds and blinks of confusion, Goku tilted his head and responded with the one word he could sum up his confusion with.

"What?"

Gohan just shook his head. Obvious as always, that's all he'd be getting from his father. Taking a Senzu Bean from the small, brown bag at his side, he flicked it in his fingers once and caught it, letting out a sigh before turning on his heel and departing.

"Forget about it, dad," the young half-Saiyan replied before disappearing down the hall. The child headed for the kitchen, thoughts and stomach focused on making him a nice cup of hot, herbal tea. His father stared after him, still looking shocked and puzzled. After a moment or so, Goku shook his head and returned to the book. He smiled to himself as his thoughts slowly returned to the book.

"_That boy…always getting himself into some kind of trouble…"_

* * *

_**Day Five…**_

Perhaps the betterment of all days that have been had so far, the fifth day of the ten given to the Z-warriors to prepare for the Cell Games was spent mostly with rest and leisure. Everyone was having at their own things now, and nobody was arguing. There was a lot of discussion about Cell's tournament, especially on the news. Proclamations made by the World Champion known as Hercule continued to spread across the world, bringing hope to the people and laughter to the Z-fighters. But after a few minutes of watching the fool gallop about the screen, those of the Z-team such as Yamcha and Krillin, who found him amusing before, soon switched off the TV set when they couldn't poke fun at him anymore. There wasn't really anything amusing about it anyway, since the world was still in grave danger.

On the fifth day, Bulma was adding the finishing touches to Android 16#'s damaged chassis and cranium parts. It had taken a lot of scrounging and hard work, but thanks to Capsule Corps unlimited supply and continuous development of technology, parts needed to build androids and such were easy to come by. 16# was very grateful for her help, but she replied it was the least she could do for a fellow Z-fighter. By this time, Android's 16# and 18# have been fully accepted into the Z-team.

Vegeta continued to use the GR, as well as being a hard ass around everyone else. In spite of everything, he hasn't changed in the slightest, not since the team's battle on Namek. Mirai Trunks had left the Lookout late on the forth day to join his father, feeling that he wanted to spend more time with him. But like the Saiyan he was, Trunks' father only wanted to train. So the only way the two of them could ever hang out was mostly in the GR. Whenever Vegeta broke away from training, he would retire to the living room to watch some television. Impossible to move, as always…

Apparently, the mood of relaxation had also fallen on Tien, Yamcha and Krillin. Back on Kame Island, the three of them caught onto Goku and Gohan's idea, and began resting more to replenish their strength. After hours of training, they felt that their muscles needed some rest. 18#, Master Roshi, Turtle, Oolong and Puar were indifferent to their situation, and also began kicking their feet up to rest. Heck, an island in the middle of the ocean, far from any tell-tale signs of civilization, with a tropical atmosphere that sort of reminded you of Hawaii was the closest thing they'll get to the best day they'll ever get on a beach. Master Roshi said that they had to lighten up once in a while.

Piccolo, remaining up on the Lookout, meditated hours on end. Whenever assistance was required by the Guardian of Earth, the Namekian would pitch in the help Dende one several of his tasks. But after those tasks were performed, the green warrior would return to his daily meditation. He always kept an ear open for any trouble brewing up down on earth. Still, his former young student, Gohan, couldn't help but feel shocked that none of his friends was able to clue in on his fight with Broly. They all thought that the two huge power levels were actually the young Saiyan and a double training. The issue was dropped, since that episode was over and it was back to square one with Cell.

Goku and Chi-Chi continued spending heaps of time with each other. Like their son, they all pitched in to help around the house. While Gohan vacuumed, mopped and swept the house from top to bottom (by top, literally it means the ceiling), Goku did the dishes and washing, and Chi-Chi went shopping to the grocery store. She had managed to drive off that wild bore that had been chasing her for weeks now, which was a minor achievement, considering she managed to frighten even Piccolo. There were also other tasks that everyone pitched in to help with, like dusting, laundry, tinkering up the bathroom, fixing up the bathhouse, fire wood collecting, and a host of other chores that the whole family involved themselves with. Whenever the work was completed, the three would then get down to what they loved to do most. Gohan, having ditched strength training since he got the necessary amount against Broly, had taken to light skill, technique and combo training out in the fields, practicing Wushu, Kung-Fu, Muay Thai and Jinshi-tenchu fighting styles. The light exercises toned his mind and body, influencing him all the more with the arts. He also practiced more using his sword and other ki created weaponry to enhance his skills, as well as sitting himself underneath a distant tree to sharpen the blade of his primary implement of defense. If that weren't enough, he made the occasional visit to his castle and open space area, the spiritual connection helping to ease his thoughts. Then there was his father, Goku. The older Saiyan would frequently retreat to the living room or spend a lot more time with Chi-Chi polishing their relationship. He would even take her on a date or two, enjoying the scenery or heading into the nearby East City. The two of them were having the time of their lives.

Well, it was mid-day, and Gohan was sitting quietly in the living room flicking through the channels of the television. Lying back on the long stretched out couch didn't feel very familiar to him, but it sure hell was relaxing. His eyes remained locked onto the picture box, watching channel after channel zap by. His reflexes allowed him to see what each program was in a split second before he switched. He could easily tell. The only thing was that he really wasn't a TV sort of person. The things he found most exciting was training, meditating, hanging out with his friends and family or going on an adventure. It was a good list there, but he has yet to explore many of the other things. He did enjoy drawing, as well as studying, but those were more educational then recreational. With the TV starting to lose its ring with him, he was considering going out for a swim or something. With a sigh, he soon switched off the television and set down the remote on the coffee table. Leaning back with his hands behind his head, he looked up to the ceiling in thought.

"_Hmm…maybe mom and dad can think of something fun for me to do…perhaps I should go ask them…"_ he thought, extending his senses outwards in search for them. He found that his parents were in the bedroom just down the hall, their energy levels fluctuating, rising and falling at a rapid pace. Their heart rate was also strangely erratic. He raised an eyebrow, his eyes cast off in that direction. _"What in the world…what could they possible be…oh…oh my…"_

Gohan blushed and got to his feet. He quickly vacated the vicinity and retreated for the outside, crossing the river beside their house as fast as he could before stopping on the very edge of the rolling hillsides beyond the residence. From here, the young Saiyan looked back to the house with a questionable expression in play. His thoughts dragged on from where they were left off. _"They could use the privacy…"_

Looking back, Gohan took in a deep breath of fresh air, senses tingling at the sensations of purity and peace. Now out of the house, he could finally turn to one of the available enjoyable tasks on his list. No more work needed to be done, so he was free for the next few hours. Plus, he was craving for something exciting. So, making up his mind quickly, he decided to go on a little adventure. He floated off of the ground a couple of feet and then took off at full speed in some other direction. This time, he didn't bother using his aura, as he was fast enough without the maximum power. And so, from this point onwards, he was off on another journey.

As he flew over the vast mountains, valleys, forests, lakes, rivers and landscapes far below, the young Saiyan checked the other brown bag at his side. Pulling it up to him, he checked the herbs inside to see what he had in stock. Surely most of the stuff he had was well enough to make good tea that was healthy for you. However, he was missing several other things. Tying the bag up, he slipped it back into his belt, and picked up speed. What he had in mind was to find himself a store that sold him sunflower pollen, sinago and Jin ferns. So, he continued heading in the direction he was on, knowing that there would be a village somewhere nearby.

After a minute of flying, Gohan eventually stumbled upon a small village situated in the middle of a forest. There was a winding main road that led into it and from it, which in turn led to the main road a kilometer away. Anyway, however you looked at it didn't matter, the village looked quite alright from where he was flying. Several of the buildings he identified as stores while a couple of others were just houses. It was pretty small, but it would have to suffice. Places like this usually sold descent herbs from the forests, so there's bound to be some nettle and Jin leaves he could buy.

Gohan descended and landed in the middle of the town, a bit of dust rising as he touched down on solid earth. As soon as he did, he looked up and around him, taking in his new surroundings. The young Saiyan had been around Mount Paoz's borders and had checked out most of the surrounding villages, but this one he had never been too. Surprisingly enough, this village had everything except one thing, people. He raised an eyebrow and began walking through slowly, cautious and all senses on open. His eyes shifted from left to right, taking in one building after another and making sure not to miss a single dark corner. But so far, he couldn't find anyone. He stopped, fingers itching and expression becoming serious.

"_I smell Cell in the air…"_

He heard a rustle of leaves behind him and spun around, eyes locking onto the sound. When his gave was turned down a dark area behind a vegetable store, he saw a black and white cat emerge from the bushes, striding over to him before stopping. The cat with green eyes looked up at the young Saiyan, tail swishing about and gaze fixated with his. Gohan uncurled his fists, sighing in relief. His own tail, which had unwrapped itself from around his waist, swayed in sync with the cat's tail. He smiled at her, watching the cat mew at her before disappearing in some other direction down the road.

"_Cute little neko, I wonder if she knows what's going on here…"_

Shrugging, Gohan turned around again, turning to the store across from the Vegetable shop. There, he read the sign up above, which said _Herbs and Medicines_. Smiling in success at finally finding a store like this, he headed over to it, walking up the steps and pushing open the door. The shop was open, as the door opened with a chime with no opposing locks or signs saying 'Sorry we're closed'. As soon as the young Saiyan stepped into the store, a medium built man with a bald head, dressed in grey slacks, a white T-shirt and wearing an apron appeared in front of him from behind the door he opened. Loading a Mossberg Shot-gun, he pointed the weapon into Gohan's chest. It didn't surprise the young Saiyan in the least, who just stood there and looked up at the man. He only had to glance down at the weapon once before smiling back up at him.

"Gee…am I not welcome here?" he asked. "Perhaps I was safer outside…"

The man, whose face was once sweating nervously as he poked the muzzle of the shot gun into the young man's chest, suddenly realized who it was he was aiming for and relaxed. He clicked the weapon into safety and pulled it away, laying it across his shoulder. He smiled down at the 11-year-old. "Sorry, I'm very sorry…I thought you were Cell…"

Gohan raised an eyebrow. "Huh…Cell?" The man shrugged at him taking a step to the side to allow his customer to step in.

"You know…Cell: the monster who has been terrorizing this planet, the people and this village? The vial fiend who sucks the life out of you while you're still kicking," he continued, giving Gohan the brief outline of the story. The young Saiyan waved his hand at him.

"I already know about that. I'm just wondering why this town is so empty, that's all," Gohan replied. The man nodded affirmatively, leading the young Saiyan down one of the isles of his store. As they walked on, you could see the various articles of medicines and herbs stacked on the shelves all around them. There were jars and pots of plants or pieces of plants, as well as flasks, containers, boxes and crates. There were also fridges built up against the walls, making this quite a modern looking place. Along their trek, the shop keep continued speaking to Gohan.

"Well, you see…not so long ago, Cell himself came to this town. A lot of people were caught in his sights, and before we knew what was happening, he sucked those he marked up through his tail. Many of us hid from him, and as soon as he was gone, we were left scarred," the man explained, the two of them coming up to the counter. Walking around, the shop-keep returned to his post behind the cash register, and when he did, he sat himself down and looked at Gohan who stood on the other side of the desk. "The remaining people tried picking up the pieces from then. But as soon as we were back on our feet, he appeared on the news! We became terrified, fearful for our lives and for the lives of our children. So we barricaded ourselves up in our town, coming up with all the weapons we could scrounge. Even the local Sheriff handed out his weapons to us…"

Gohan nodded in understanding, looking down at the counter's surface in thought. After only a moment of thought, he looked back up, his expression still puzzled. "So…where is everybody?" he asked. The man scratched his head with his left hand, right hand on his hip.

"(Sigh)…I'd say they're up at the shelter…"

"Shelter?" Gohan queried. The man nodded and thumbed over his shoulder as a visual-figural gesture.

"Yeah…about a day after Cell declared his World Tournament on television, a group of men showed up to help us: a small, fat millionaire with more money then brains and three thugs, one of them a cyborg. They built a giant, dome bunker not too far from this village, saying that it would protect us from Cell," he said. He then shook his head sadly, taking out a wet towel and wiping off the dirt on his counter. He had recently been chopping weeds up to make a new herbal mixture, and he had been half-way done till just a few minutes ago. "Unfortunately it's costing us a lot, resulting in us having to work harder. The men are like oppressors, forcing us to work for them to keep up with the pay-check used for that dome…"

Gohan nodded in agreement, also looking down. "I see what you mean. But…it's also of grave misfortune that that dome thing will never work…" The man looked up at him in surprise.

"Huh?" Gohan nodded firmly to him again as a statement gesture.

"Yeah. I've seen what Cell can do, and I know how strong he really is. I believe you've seen it too on the news, what with his demonstrations," the young Saiyan said with distaste. "No bunker, bomb-shelter or army will protect you from that monster. He's unstoppable." The man furrowed his brow, propping his elbow on the counter and resting his chin in his hand as he leaned against the desk.

"By what you're saying is that these men are taking advantage of our fear using something that's practically useless," the man said. Gohan just stared, serious expression coming into play.

"If I were you, I'd tell them to get lost," Gohan said. The man shrugged, taking up a proper sitting position again and keeping his eyes on the boy.

"Well, telling them to beat it will be a lot harder then working off the debt," the shop-keep replied. "No one has the proper authority to do such a thing, not even the sheriff. Besides, I don't think we'll be able to tell them to move any time soon, because that mercenary cyborg those men brought with them is really strong! He's the real backbone of those men." Gohan just shrugged in response at that and turned towards a stack of herbs standing near the counter. They were merely jars of special fruits, such as berry seeds and poison peach berries. Gohan raised an eyebrow.

"_Boy, those fruits can really lift a lot of weight off of you…"_ Gohan thought (if you catch his drift). He turned back to the counter. "Don't worry, I can take care of him," he replied to the shop-keeper's explanations of the situation. "By the way, you wouldn't happen to have any sinago, Jin fern, nettle, _Chrysanthemum morifolium_ or _Chrysanthemum indicum_ on you?" Gohan asked. The man behind the counter smiled and gestured throughout his entire store before getting to his feet.

"I've got everything you need in here," he exclaimed. Gohan smiled.

"I'd like to buy all those, please," the young Saiyan asked politely. The shop-keep chuckled and went around with a paper bag, off to grab the necessary articles his customer was out for.

"Of course, son, this will only take a second," he replied. Gohan watched the guy wiz through the entire store, picking out small brown bags of the herbs he needed. Every dice was taken into account, measured and added up. While the service man was at it, Gohan scrounged through his pocket for the money he kept on his person at all times. However, he stumbled upon something else in his pocket, and pulled out a small, brown bag. Rummaging through it, he picked out a small diamond, the jewel sparkling in his finger tips. He shrugged, figuring he could give this guy a good tip. Moments later, the shop-keeper returned to the counter with a small bag of Gohan's order. He checked the cash register to how much Gohan owed him, and when he did, he looked down with a nod.

"That will be 25 Zenie," he exclaimed. Gohan smiled and placed on the counter the diamond he held. The shop-keeper's eyes bugged out when he saw the precious stone lying in front of him. Gohan chuckled, taking the bag from his shaky hand.

"Keep the change," Gohan said. The shop-keeper smiled nervously and took the diamond, bowing to him.

"O-Of course. T-Thank you kindly," he replied. Gohan bowed back in respect.

"No, thank _you_ sir," the Saiyan child said in return. With an exchange of waves, Gohan turned around to begin making his way out of the store. It was quite a well-supplied establishment here, so he figured he'd come back another time.

While he was turning around from the counter, he suddenly came face to face with a girl. He stepped back in surprise upon seeing how close she was. The brown haired girl with green eyes was staring up at him curiously, tilting her head to the side and blinking. The way she stared at him made him kind of edgy, and since the guy behind the counter was too busy checking the diamond he had gotten, there was no one around who cared what was happening. Gohan blinked, looking back at her while standing at full height. The girl moved around him, looking up and down with her hands held behind her. During the time of her observations, Gohan made notes of her appearance. She was around 10 years old, a year younger then him, and wore red pants with suspenders, a yellow shirt and had her hair tied back into a pony tail. She stood to about the height of his chest, and from a guy who was hitting puberty the young Saiyan noticed that she was quite pretty.

After circling Gohan twice, with the young Saiyan following her with his eyes, she stopped where she started and stared at him again. A moment or so later, her curious expression turned into a very, happy smile and she leaned forward up towards him again. This sharp movement made Gohan back away a bit more in surprise.

"Hi there!" she exclaimed.

"Uh…hi," Gohan replied, blinking.

"Who are you? What's your name?" she asked. "I've never seen _you_ around here before! Where are you from? Are you here visiting someone or did you get lost? Oh…did you come here to buy things for someone or for yourself? What did you get? Oh! How long are you staying? Are you…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Gohan said laughing nervously, cutting off the girl's bombardment of questions. "Easy there. Could you ask me those questions again, this time slower and preferably one question at a time please?" "_Gee, I didn't even catch the first ones!"_ He thought at the end. The girl smiled and nodded.

"Ok…so," she began. "Who are you?"

Gohan nodded back placing his hands on his hips. One of his hands held the bag of herbs he had just bought, and was sure to keep a close arm over it. "My name is Gohan," he replied. "What's your name?" The girl grinned and pointed at herself.

"I'm Lime," she exclaimed in response before holding out a hand to him. "It's very nice to meet you Gohan!" The young Saiyan shook her hand. Although he was more accustomed to bowing to others, he had found that hand shaking is another nice way of greeting another.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Lime," he replied. The girl giggled and, when the two lowered hands, she smiled sweetly up at him, batting her eyelashes.

"Would you like to come out and play with me?" she asked. Gohan blinked, rather surprised by this. However, it soon came as understanding to him since kids around this age still acted this age. When he was five, he was fighting villains who could destroy entire planets with a single blast. Still, since he had plenty of time to kill, he figured he could honor the girl's request.

"Uhh…sure. What do you want to do?" Gohan asked. Lime grinned and gestured for him to follow her.

"Come on! I know this great place by my house!" she exclaimed, leading the way out of the shop. Not bothering to rush, Gohan just walked after her. He was surprised by how energetic she was, her ki clearly showing this. He exited the store, leaving the owner staring after them. Having finished examining the diamond he was paid, he managed to catch a good glimpse of one town resident Lime, and the new boy Gohan interact before they left. Upon seeing them leave, he smiled and shook his head.

"_I must say, those two might make quite the item when they're older…"_

* * *

_**Some time later…**_

_**Out in the woods…**_

Gohan and Lime had ventured out of the village to have a play around. As said, Lime led her Saiyan friend past her house and into the woods close by. Here the two of them had a game of tag and tossed a ball around. Gohan was careful not to hurl the ball they were playing with too hard, as he was worried he would hurt her badly by accident. The game of tag was also something he had to limit himself with. To make it fair for his newfound friend, he didn't move too fast. Even if he wasn't trying he still ran pretty fast. But going slow, limiting his ki to that of a human's, he was able to enjoy the game with Lime. Eventually, the two of them got down to talking about each other.

Lime told Gohan all about herself, right up to the bit where she survived Cell's onslaught. It was out of pure luck that allowed her and her present guardian to survive. It was after that Gohan got down to telling her about his life. He wasn't afraid sharing his secrets with her, since he felt there was nothing that could jeopardize his life at this point. Lime was amazed at his life story. Though both of them had explained briefly the main events that had occurred in their lives so far (and whatever it is they could recall), out of both of them, Gohan's was the most interesting. Lime hung onto every word he passed onto her, and when they got to the Cell issue, he explained to her that he intends to 'fight him and kill him for all the pains he has caused'.

"Wow…" Lime breathed as she lay on the grass, head propped up on her hands with her feet swaying in the air. She stared at Gohan in awe, who was leaning against a tree, still fully dressed and battle clad. "So you're really going to fight Cell at the Cell Games?" she asked.

Gohan nodded with that handsome smile of his. "Yup. And what I said before, I intend to carry out that task. I'll fight him on the ring, and I'll beat him!" the young Saiyan replied with determination edged in his voice. Lime was struck with inspiration by his warrior like words and pulled up a determined look of her own. With confidence helping her along, she raised a fist and punched the air.

"Be sure to give him one from me!" Lime stated, pounding the ground. Gohan chuckled, nodding affirmatively.

"I'll be sure to _air-mail _it to him with your signature," he said with a chuckle. It was then when that chuckle turned into a laugh, and in the end, both of them ended up laughing together. No one knew why, but it just seemed to be the right time.

After an hour of talking, the two of them eventually went on to playing games. They explored the forest around them, with Lime showing him her secret hide away whenever she was avoiding someone or something rather. Gohan really didn't think that hiding in a thick tree was a really conventional hiding place, but still, it was all good. This forest trek was followed up by a game of hide-and-seek. They played it longer then they did their other games, as the forest was vast, yet they didn't exceed beyond certain points. Lime was pretty good at it, since she knew her surroundings really well. Gohan in turn was really good, and had a slight advantage when it came to it. He could detect her ki easily, but just to make it fun, he didn't use it. It got really interesting at some points because Lime was so good that her ki was practically masked, even though she didn't know how to use her energy. She caught him many times and in turn he surprised her by finding her in the most impossible places. They had a lot of fun together, with this game dragging on into the afternoon.

Sometime later, Gohan was the one who was seeking Lime. It has been well over 30 minutes he had been searching for her. After many tries, he couldn't find her anywhere. He was nearing close to their boundaries, and was scratching his head in puzzlement as to where she could be. But he didn't need worry, he had a feeling she was around here. So, bucking up his composure, he extended his search a bit more, striding under the cover of trees. His shadow disappeared with him as he journeyed further onwards. However, things were about to change drastically that would call for yet another heroic deed that needed to be done. He suddenly heard a commotion up ahead, and his attention was drawn away from the hunt. Furrowing his brow, he gathered up his senses and ran on to investigate. When he eventually reached the site where he heard the shouting and yelling, he got quite a shock when he saw what was happening.

The trees broke into a clearing where a giant, concrete-steel dome was built. It was obviously the thing that the shop-keeper had informed him of before, and as expected, the people responsible for this were right there. Aside from the crowds of people shouting in protest, Gohan could make out the four thugs. One of them was a plump man dressed in a white business suit and wearing sunglasses. The two others beside him were security guards, both of them looking tough. The forth guy however was elsewhere and on crowd control. The commotion that had started up was over something serious, and Gohan just found out why.

"So you're the girl that has been causing us all the trouble!" the fat man shouted, pointing at who Gohan identified as Lime held in the grip of the forth fellow that had been settling the crowds. The young Saiyan found his appearance quite odd. He wore pink fighting robes with purple and red linings, with a fighting sign that matched that of Tien's. It was also strange to see that he was clad in metal, and from memory, Gohan recalled being told that the forth guy was a cyborg. And here was the proof. He was full on metal with enhanced body parts such as hand gauntlets and red photoreceptors. Even though he looked weird in the outfit, Gohan saw that it was traditional. However, there was no time for that, he could see that Lime was in trouble.

The girl attempted to lash out at the man who was holding her, kicking and screaming for him to put her down. "Let me go you creep! Let…me…go!!!"

The fat man smirked and thumbed at his neck. "Why should we. You've caused us enough trouble as it is little missy! It's time for us to put you down for the count!" he stated. Gohan frowned. He definitely did not like where this was going. "Mercenary Tao, dispose of her!" he ordered.

The mercenary cyborg grinned and tossed her away; turning in the direction he had thrown her. Lime screamed before coming to a crash landing 20 meters away. The crowds watched bewildered, unable to believe what was happening. "With pleasure, sir," the cyborg fighter exclaimed, dusting his hands over. When he did, his left hand suddenly retracted into his sleeve, a gauntlet barrel appearing in its place. "Your existence has run its course brat. Prepare to die!"

Lime trembled where she lay, looking up fearfully with tears brimming her eyes. "G-Grandfather…s-someone…please…help me!"

Tao laughed, aiming his left gauntlet at the girl with his superiors watching from behind. The crowds protested louder, but were silenced when the mercenary began to speak up, his voice loud as he made this statement. "No one will save you now girly. I have a job to finish, and that job is this!" he shouted. Suddenly, a pink light appeared deep within the barrel of his gauntlet arm, shining brightly and illuminating the ground ahead of him. After a moment or so of charging, he unleashed his attack with a yell of power. "DODOM RAY!!!" With that, a large, pink blast shot forth from his arm, hurling straight for its set target. The crowds screamed in horror, while the three men in the background watched on with smirks.

Lime let out a cry of fear and curled up, shutting her eyes and looking away. Just as it seemed the blast was about to consume her, a sudden figure appeared in front of her and stood in the path of the blast. In a flash of light, the attack suddenly struck a solid, pulsing barrier, its momentum declining before it was reversed and sent shooting off in some other direction. The crowds and the thugs gasped, whereas Lime, slowly looking back up, saw who it was that had saved her. She too gasped in surprise.

"G-Gohan!" she stammered. The young Saiyan stood in front of her, standing straight up while glaring ahead of him at the cyborg warrior who had tried to kill his friend. Tao was shocked, and so were the others behind him.

"What the?" the mercenary coughed.

"What's going on here!" the boss shouted. He then pointed at the boy. "Who the heck is this?! I demand an explanation, immediately!" The young Saiyan warrior tightened his scowl, glaring more fiercely at his opposition.

"I am Gohan! And you four are not welcome here anymore!" he stated. "I suggest that you all leave now, or suffer the consequences!"

The villagers who had crowded in the background began murmuring amongst themselves, whispering and questioning where this boy had come from. It was just for them to wonder who this savior of Lime was. The other four beside the villagers however weren't impressed. Whilst the boss was fuming, mercenary Tao was growling in anger, right fist raised.

"You insolent rat! You dare interfere!" the cyborg yelled. "Do you not know who I am? I am Mercenary Tao, the world's greatest assassin! If anyone should be leaving, it should be you!" he yelled.

"And if you don't, then Tao will remove you personally!" the boss shouted from behind. Gohan just glared, unfazed.

Lime slowly got to her feet, trembling a bit from shock but staring up at Gohan. She knew that this confrontation wasn't over, and just watched from behind to see what was going to happen next. Tao, not done with his threats or job, stepped forward and took a firm fighting stance. He aimed his open weapon at the boy again, sensors locking onto him with his intentions clear. Since his target wasn't responding as expected, he might as well 'remove' him as expected of his clients.

"And remove him I shall!" Tao shouted, energy beginning to gather in his weapon again. "I will wipe the two of you out now! Two for the price of one! This appears to be my lucky day!!!" Gohan furrowed his brow, smirking.

"Not exactly…" the young Saiyan stated. Just as his opponent was still gathering energy into his soon to be final attack, Gohan stepped forward a bit and ran his right foot over the ground. He slid it across the smooth earth, and then moved it back in front of him, stomping on the ground and sending his energy into the ground. Just then, a ripple of dust and earth formed, which shot straight for the young Saiyan's target. Seconds later, it hit, knocking Tao off balance. His arm was thrown up, and his attack shot skywards.

Following up this move, Gohan pivoted on the ground. Taking a horse riding stance, he threw his hands forward, then back, fisting them, then up, then back down and then forward again. After this, he leapt forward and dropped into another stance, bringing his hands back before throwing them forward, unleashing a wave of invisible energy. The blast of cool force struck its target full on, which sent Tao flying across the grounds and crashing to the earth. He skidded across, ruining his outfit before stopping at the base of the giant dome. After shaking from the shock of being attacked so suddenly, Tao staggered to his feet and glared at the boy, fisting his hand. The cannon on his left arm turned back into his original hand, so that he could seethe with both of them.

"You…YOU!" Tao shouted. "W-Who are you?!" Gohan smirked, his blue aura suddenly exploding around him. Lime, the gangsters, Tao and the observing crowds gasped in shock as the ferocity of his aura grew. White lightning shot out of his aura, which expanded to an extraordinary level, chopping up the ground at his feet and forming a crater.

Gohan's glare hardened on his opponent, flashing turquoise as his energy level skyrocketed. "I already told you my name! It's Gohan…Son Gohan! I am the son of Chi-Chi and Goku!" Tao was rather taken aback, especially by the son of Goku bit. He gulped and backed away into the wall behind him. His hirers standing a ways away looked at him, with the boss looking between the two fighters.

"What are you waiting for Tao!" the stout man shouted. "Kill the boy already!" The mercenary looked at his boss, trembling and sweating nervously.

"Uhh…uhh…um," he stammered nervously, fixing his collar which has somehow gotten tighter. It was hard for him to answer, with good reason. "Ergh…GOT TO GO!" he finally stated. Dashing over to the edge of a forest, he kicked at the foot of one of the trees standing their, chopping it cleanly in half. Then finding another point a little higher up, he sliced the top off of the tree as well. With the log a perfect straight line with no offending bumps whatsoever, Tao then aligned it with the sky above. He threw it skyward, the log stream lining straight up. He leapt after it, landing on top of it and riding it out of here. He laughed out loud. "See you suckers later!!!"

Gohan and the crowds below watched Tao fly out of here, and when they saw him disappear, silence rained. With the moment set, everyone turned to the young Saiyan responsible for the mercenary's cowardly escape. All who set their sights on the young warrior awed at his display of incredible power, his aura lighting up the entire area! But then, after the young Saiyan glanced at the crowds once more, he sighed and let his energy drop back down. Shaking his head, Gohan closed his eyes and raised his left hand towards the three goons standing in front of the shelter. They all freaked out, knowing that the boy was gunning for them next. But then, as Gohan's hand lit up with a golden energy ball, he suddenly raised his hand at the last second and launched a blast at the dome shelter. The blast penetrated its thick outer walls, rupturing the insides. Moments later, the entire thing lit up in a gigantic explosion, the entire structure disintegrating in a ball of fire, with only ash remaining. Every stood bewildered, whilst the three gangsters were shocked.

"What did you do that for!" a man from the crowd yelled.

"Now how are we going to protect ourselves from Cell!" another villager, a woman, shouted. Gohan turned to them, opening his eyes with a smile.

"I'm sorry, but it is for the better. No obstacle, building or weapon in this world can protect you from Cell," the young Saiyan stated, pointing at the three men standing several meters away from him. "Those thugs have been giving you false hope. You've spent your days slaving for them for nothing! They've lived off your sweat and treated you like trash!" At that the three gangsters standing by the wreckage of the shelter turned to the crowd to see all the people's eyes shoot towards them. Gohan nodded affirmatively, answering an unasked question. "I think it's time for you to leave…"

With an uproar of shouts, the crowds ran at the men, who let out yells of fear and ran for it. The villagers pursued them in anger, waving sticks and fists as they chased them out of town. Gohan laughed out, crossing his arms and smiling after the sight.

Flashing a grin, the young Saiyan spoke up. "Well, we won't be seeing them anymore," he exclaimed, turning around to face Lime. The girl, after seeing the commotion spring up to its fullest, and after watching the entire fray that had gone on, turned to Gohan and smiled back. "Are you alright?" the young Saiyan asked.

Lime nodded enthusiastically. "Yes…yes I am Gohan!" she exclaimed happily. Her expression then turned to one of bashfulness crossed with shyness, and she dipped her head a bit, a blush streaking across her cheeks. "T-Thank you…" Gohan nodded to her.

"Don't mention it…" Lime giggled and walked up to him, leaning up and giving her savior a quick kiss on the cheek. She pulled back down and gave him a hug, to which he returned after recovering from the surprise of the show of affection and gratitude. After a moment's embrace, the two pulled away with Gohan smiling down at her still. "Come on, let's go home…"

The two of them departed, leaving the scene and heading back to the village. It had been a fun day, especially for Gohan. Not only had he saved a town from corruption, but he had made a new friend. What a day…

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	31. Old Rivals Meet

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Old Rivals Meet_

_**Last Day…**_

_**Late in the Afternoon…**_

The Z-fighters could all feel it in their bones, the day of the Cell Games closing in on them through the last hours. The world would be holding its breath to see who would claim the title of World Champion and save the planet from total destruction. Everyone, especially the earth's Special Forces were all restless, mostly for the fact that they were so nervous about the upcoming fight. They knew how strong Cell was now, but weren't sure how powerful he had _really_ become. If they knew any better, all fighters with a power level under 5,000,000, didn't even stand a chance. The only ones that could be counted on, to pull through the fight and win, were Goku, Gohan, Trunks, Vegeta and Piccolo (and 16# and 18# if possible). This group was the only group strong enough to tackle the mighty android. But don't sell everyone else short, everyone would get their chance, and if not achieve victory, then die trying!

Everyone had pulled through the last day into the late afternoon. Here, the whole gang said their prayers and spent their last moments with their friends and/or loved ones. Then it was time to hit the hay. The entire Z-Team, except Piccolo and Gohan went to sleep, resting up for that fateful day tomorrow. A lot of lives would be decided at the Cell Games, with the whole world and billions of lives as well as the prize. The outcome would determine everything, nothing else mattered. If that weren't enough, Cell himself was looking very eager. Standing in the centre of the ring, not even moving an inch, the android folded his arms and waited, a smile on his face and confidence flashing past his eyes.

"It's finally come," he whispered to himself. "Tomorrow's the day of the Cell Games. I'm sure to enjoy this…knowing the Z-fighters. They will not disappoint…"

Meanwhile, miles away, on Kame Island, the Z-fighters posted there were sleeping soundly. Master Roshi slept in his own room; Yamcha, Tien and Chouzu were granted the living room with their sleeping bags and duvets, Oolong and Puar had suites of their own, and 18# and Krillin had a room of their own upstairs. They slept together in the same bed, quietly dozing and not making even a sound. There was no stress here, only silence as the sea air flowed and the water rippled on the islands banks.

Further to the East…way into the East, West City laid dormant, save for those who had to work at night. The streets though were practically empty all the way through to Capsule Corp, where yet another group of the Z-Team was sleeping. Android 16# had his systems closed down for the night, and was lying on the same table he was fixed on (nothing strange going on here). Mirai had housed himself up in a room of his own. Having rested the whole day before, he allowed himself these hours of sleep, no thoughts on the Cell Games nestled in his mind. Vegeta and Bulma were up in their room, huddled together like a good couple should, and remaining silent in their sleep. It was sort of a miracle to see the two of them together like this, seeing as that they were almost both impossible.

Miles back, a little to the North; Kami's Lookout was as quiet as ever. Dende and Mr. Popo had taken to the indoors to complete some work and get some rest, leaving Piccolo, the Guardian's right hand man, outside on the edge of the platform, meditating. The Namekian had his arms and legs crossed as he floated several meters above the ground, mind empty of all thoughts whilst it was heavily fixed on training. Not even a buzz of energy surrounded him, just calmness.

Then, more overly to the East, 600 miles South of East City, the Son residence that presided in Mount Paoz was also quiet. The dome house with the many other buildings attached to it was silent, so silent that not even the movement of an animal could break it. Goku and Chi-Chi were up in their room, sound asleep and curled up together in each other's arms. The grown Saiyan hero, Goku, was still in Super Saiyan form. His full-powered up state however was unaffected by his relaxed position, allowing him to remain in that form without powering down. If everything went well at the Cell Games, then Goku and Chi-Chi could spend more times like this together. But what could come of the games tomorrow? Nothing was written…

For Gohan, he felt that his days in the physical plain were coming to a close. The young Saiyan was up all night, at a new special place he had found. Deep in the far reaches of Mount Paoz, the child had recently found a new area to call his own. With a cluster of high ranges surrounding him with evergreen forests situated a top of hilly terrains, the young Saiyan stood at the banks of a large river, underneath a loan tree. This tree was the only one of its kind in this entire area, covered in clear, purely grown leaves that was undisturbed by man, and had grown with good health. Gohan found yet another spiritual connection in this place, and from meditating under the tree, he could find more peace. The water sparkled under the starry skies above with the full moon a sight to behold, lighting up the whole dark of space. Nothing could disturb him now.

Lying back in a clear spot surrounding the lake, with the waterfall crashing in the distance, the young Saiyan put his hands at the back of his head and gazed at the skies above him. His eyes sparkled with the stars, locked with the glittering jewels. He sighed, reaching down with his right hand and grasping the crystal pendant around his neck. The heart shaped memento sparkled brightly in his grip, responding with the stars above and with his own heart. He would always carry it with him, no matter where he went.

It was from here…he began to sing…

"…_What is within my heart none can ever know. A heart like a falcon's is this very heart. What is within my heart none can ever know. Lonely falcon in the empty sky…"_

"_I…walk alone along deserted country roads. Walking with me side by side you are always there. I feel your loneliness lonely you must be. Like crickets whispering in the grassy fields. You walk there by my side; you walk the path with me. But you never say a word, never do you speak…"_

"_What is within my heart none can ever know. Here inside this heart that walks its path alone. What is within my heart none can ever know. The sadness of one who always is alone…"_

"_Far, far above the clouds against the setting sun; a falcon flies alone, soaring in the winds. I hear his lonely cry, so sad must he be. Riding the silent wind, a falcon flies alone. Reaching out with his wings, he grasps the empty sky. Riding the silent wind, never can he rest…"_

"_What is within my heart none can ever know. A heart like a falcon's is this very heart. What is within my heart none can ever know. Lonely falcon in the empty sky…"_

"_I walk with you along an empty winding road. We're far from the ones we love, and never can return. Never can we see again, the countries of our birth. When will I ever find a place to call my very own? Sadness circling like a falcon in the sky! When will I ever find a way to speak my heart? To someone who knows what it is to be alone…?"_

"_What is within my heart none can ever know. Here inside this heart that walks its path alone. What is within my heart none can ever know. The sadness of one who always is alone…"_

Gohan finished his song, closing his eyes and smiling. His hand gripped his pendant tightly, which shone and pulsed, beating with the same energy that drove his heart. In the dark of this night, he found light under the stars and moon. The next time he opened his eyes, they were turquoise, but these weren't driven by fury, anger or hatred, but of his own accord. He felt more alive now then any other time in his life. With that, he whispered…

"Pure strength…tested…tried…but can never be determined…as long as one finds that strength within himself…" Gohan said, before closing his eyes again and resting.

Now was the time…

* * *

_**Morning…**_

The remaining five days till the Cell Games passed by quickly. Since Gohan's meeting with Lime, everything just seemed to be a blur to him. To the others, it was like minutes were hours. The stress of the upcoming tournament came down on all of them like a blizzard, literally freezing time and slowing it down. Even though the pressure settled down on the rest of the gang, those who had the capabilities of standing even a chance against Cell weren't putting any thought into the Games ahead of them. Goku and Gohan just relaxed those remaining five days. The two of them spent a lot of time together, as well as with Chi-Chi and living the good-days. Gohan even took trips over to Lime and Erran a few times, his thoughts never absent off his old friends.

Finally the day came to earn his wings, and before they knew it, the entire Z-gang was up and running, ready for the competitions ahead of them. Android 16# had fully recovered from his wounds, all thanks to Bulma's engineering. He was back on his feet, and with several more modifications added to his chassis, the android was stronger then ever. He took flight the moment he was fully operational.

Vegeta and Mirai, who were also ready and had completed their training, followed him. Together, the three of them took flight and headed for the Cell Games Arena.

Krillin, 18#, Yamcha and Tien, the four Z-fighters situated at Kame House, had also completed their training for the Games. Rested up and back to full strength, the four of them headed off. They met up with Goku, Piccolo and Gohan along the way, and once they were fully assembled and ready for the tournament, descended upon the ring where Cell was waiting for them.

Scattering around the perimeter, the Z-fighters, including Vegeta, Mirai and Android 16#, stood tight and looked toward the ring. Tien, Yamcha, Krillin and 18#, as a group who had been together since day one, remained packed together, but spread themselves out a bit to get more comfortable. Goku and Piccolo stood side by side, closest to the ring then anyone else. 16#, the solitude figure yet a friend with 18#, stood by Krillin's group by the blonde haired android. Vegeta had broken away from Trunks and stood outside of the Z-fighters with his arms crossed, glaring up onto the ring. Mirai stood with Goku and Piccolo, his facial expression similar to Vegeta's. And finally, Gohan, who was also the independent fighter, but also a social person himself at other times, stood by his father and Piccolo, arms folded and stance firm like a statue. From their positions, the Z-fighters stared up onto the Cell Games ring. There, they saw the very being that had set up this tournament.

The mighty Cell in his attained Perfect From stood in the centre of the arena, arms crossed and staring at his competitors who have recently arrived. His pink eyes locked with all of the fighters, examining their obviously masked power levels. He didn't doubt their strength increases though, and so did not complain. The android merely smiled and uncrossed his arms.

Unknown to all of them, Bulma had set up miniature cameras all around the area to observe the fight from. These small devices, about the same sizes as Dr. Gero's drones and double the durability to be able to withstand the forces of hurricanes and tornados, were already filming. They watched the Z-fighters descend onto the ground, and when they had landed, a couple of the cameras moved in to get a close up. The feed was also connected to the Son Household, where Chi-Chi and the OX-King were stationed and watching. Now with the preparations set up, the games could finally get underway.

All the Z-fighters he had info on were here, each and every one of them. He was happy. Turning to the Z-fighters, he raised his arms out and began the introductions. "Welcome one and all to the Cell Games! It is of great joy to see so many competitors, and a pleasure to see so many familiar faces," the android exclaimed, glancing in particular at Vegeta and Trunks. But then his eyes shifted to Goku, who was glaring back with equal intensity. "And so, it is by my power that I declare this tournament to be underway on this date at this very time! The rules are simple: if you fall out of the ring, die or give up, you lose the match! Every fighter only gets one shot, repeat, one shot at the title! If any one of you can beat me, then the earth is saved, if not, and there are no more competitors left to face me, then this entire planet is doomed!" Cell shouted, loud enough for everyone to hear. He grinned and waved his hand up onto the stage. "We may begin! Who shall be my first opponent?"

"ME!" a sudden voice called out before any of the Z-fighters could make their move. Everyone in the entire area was caught completely off guard when they heard that booming voice and turned in surprise in the direction of the newcomer. By coincidence, a dirt road passed close by the ring, which Cell used as an advantage for his own game. He invited fighters from across the globe, and if there was anyone who couldn't fly, they would drive here. Apparently, that's what this one fighter did.

Pulled up in a limo and accompanied by a TV crew, the Z-fighters saw to their dismay the man who had declared to beat Cell days prior to the Cell Games. Hercule Satan, wearing his brown bathroom robe like gi with white belt, wrist bands and custom martial arts boots, stood there with his fists on his hips and that cocky smile on his face under his mustache and afro. Behind him, his limo drove off, dropping off the TV crew as well who immediately moved around and began filming. The camera man was just the basic person dressed in company jacket, pants and cap, whilst the reporter and announcer of these games wore a black and purple tuxedo with glasses. They were here to capture the entire fight for the people World Wide.

Hercule, the new fighter on the field, held out his right hand and gave everyone the 'V' sign, a grin on his face. The cameraman, Bob, and the news reporter caught it all, the reporter making his introductions. _**"Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for your patience. We now bring you live to the Cell Games! It is here where the fate of the world will be decided, and where the world's one true threat, Cell…"**_ Steve called, pointing out the android standing on the ring many meters behind him. _**"Is calling any challenger daring enough to come up onto the ring and face him! Well, the day of the Cell Games has come ladies and gentlemen, and it looks as though we have many competitors here!"**_ he shouted, the camera swiveling around and locking onto the Z-fighters standing just ways away and looking at the camera crew and Hercule in bewilderment. Steve nodded and turned the camera back towards him. _**"And I tell you this now! None of them can stand a chance against the mighty Cell people! But one man can, and yes, you guessed it right, it's the world champion, HERCULE!"**_

The man in afro now on screen let out a man's warrior cry and grinned, giving the thumbs up to the crew before pushing past and walking towards the ring. The camera crew, Cell and the Z-fighters watched as the man stepped up onto the untouched arena, coming to a stop on the very plateau of it. Steve and Bob came in to get a closer shot of him, making sure they got everything being said on screen.

"Oh yeah! It's time to rock and roll!" Hercule exclaimed, buffing out his chest and twitching his nose. To the people, he looked 'all-that', but the Z-fighters, they were confounded by his strange behavior. Not even Yamcha acted that confident. Cell's eyes twitched, his foot tapping impatiently.

"_What…I have to fight this idiot?" _If you were look closely at the TV screen from where the camera crew was recording, you could see Cell's annoyed crossed with a disgusted expression. The Z-fighters continued to stare bewildered in Hercule's direction, but as soon as they saw him give another loud cheer and raise his fist in an almost victory stance, the gang looked among themselves and shrugged. Krillin looked up and Yamcha and chuckled.

"Ten Zenie says he gets beat in ten seconds," the monk exclaimed. Yamcha grinned down at him.

"Twenty says it takes five," the human warrior said. Krillin grinned and turned to him, raising a fist as if ready for a fight.

"Oh, you're on!"

Piccolo, who had watched the pair's antics, shook his head and looked away, closing his eyes. Vegeta was different to everyone's situation and just looked away. To tell you the truth, he was more annoyed with the clown of a fighter going up to face Cell now. Goku was just laughing to himself, observing Mr. Satan's poses and confidence. If there was any man on this earth that had the energy as well as guts to get up on the ring to face this monster, then Hercule was the man. 18# and 16# just stared oddly at him; while Gohan had his eyes closed and was counting down the time till it was his moment. He started from 30 minutes and worked his way down. No matter what amusing acts was going on, he was all serious about the situation. He was actually nervous, beads of sweat running down his forehead.

Goku noticed his son's absence from the group and turned to him, seeing his son sort of trembling on the spot, eyes tightly shut and arms crossed. He looked serious, but was also really unstable. Concerned, Goku placed a hand on the child's shoulder, catching his attention. Gohan looked up at his father, seeing him staring down at him with worry.

"Gohan, are you okay son?" he asked. Gohan stared for a moment, but then smiled and nodded affirmatively.

"I'm fine dad, don't worry," he replied. Goku, taking that as his son's final answer nodded and pulled away, turning back to stare at Hercule again. Gohan however didn't and went on to closing his eyes and back to his thoughts. His body felt cold, yet he felt determined to face whatever it was he was thinking about head on. He had to be brave.

"_I won't be able to pull through this without sacrifice…when it comes to that…then I will…"_

Suddenly, the entire group, including the TV crew and Hercule, heard another vehicle approaching. Turning towards the road, the whole body present at the Cell Games arena saw a basic jeep coming down the road, whirling along the path before stopping at the same spot Hercule's limo had. When it did, five figures were emptied out of the jeep before it drove off with quick haste. Looking at the people who had stopped here, Cell, the Z-fighters and Hercule's Team saw three little girls and two mothers standing by, looking around the area. It was after being stopped off they walked forward, the two women taking their places to watch over the three girls. Steve, seeing this as an opportunity, redirected Bob's camera towards this new crowd and approached them.

"_**Ah yes, it appears we have a new audience!"**_ he exclaimed, stopping in front of the group who also stopped in front of them. He turned towards the little girls and pointed his microphone at them. The girls were all dressed differently. One of them had blonde hair and wore a blue dress with white linings, another had brown hair tied back into a pony tail and wore red suspended pants with a yellow T-shirt and another had raven hair tied in braided pony-tails and wearing a brown dress with red linings. Strange, they were all country girls, plus their mothers were just farm maids. _**"Are you three here to cheer on the champion Hercule?"**_

The three girls looked at each other in surprise, but then turned back to the Cell Games arena. They broke away from their mother and, ignoring the reporter, walked out towards the Z-fighters. Steve was surprised, leaving him with the two other women. They captured the camera's attention, with Steve turning towards them.

"Don't worry about our daughters," the woman with brown hair exclaimed, waving her hand at the crew. "They wanted to come so they could cheer on their friend!" Steve blinked in surprise.

"_**Uhh…heh…a…a friend?" **_he replied. The other woman, one with red hair nodded as well and redirected the microphone to her.

"Yes, actually their boyfriend more like it…"

"Jenny!" the other woman shouted. "Let's not say it like that. Don't want to embarrass them on TV now, do we?" The woman, known as Jenny shrugged and smiled.

"Sorry Kasia. But you know, they do like the same boy…"

While the two women feuded in front of the camera, the three girls, who had ventured into the Z-fighters group (with all of the fighters watching them move around), finally spotted the person they were looking for. The tall boy wearing black gi pants, white gi top with a sword sheathed on his back and black, spiky hair. With a laugh the three of them ran over to him, surprising Krillin whom they just pushed passed.

"GOHAN!" the three of them exclaimed at once. Their voices caught the young Saiyan's attention and he turned in the direction he heard the voices. When he saw the three girls rushing over to him, he took on a look of surprise before smiling and running over to them in kind.

"Lime! Erran! Anya!" Gohan exclaimed. The girls leapt at him and hugged him tightly, with the young Saiyan spinning around on the spot, taking them with him. When he settled them onto the ground they all shared a good laugh. Cell was staring in surprise, while the other Z-fighters were staring in surprise. When things began to settle, Goku, Yamcha, Tien and Krillin shared a laugh, 18#, Mirai and Piccolo smiled while Vegeta just smirked. Krillin pulled Goku down to his height and whispered into his ear.

"Boy, I tell you, Gohan is really popular with the ladies," Krillin said. Goku grinned and nodded with the both of them glancing at Gohan. They saw him stand around, smiling and laughing happily while Erran, Lime and Anya circled around him, running and having the fun there was to be had at meeting their friend here. The camera crew had turned their attention to the Z-fighters; spotting the three girls and the one they had come to cheer, with Kasia and Jenny walking over to join them.

"I know…I just never realized Gohan had such a fan club," the adult Saiyan exclaimed.

"Well, what're you going to do?" Yamcha asked with amusement edged in his voice. "Gohan's a real ladies man! I said it before and I'll say it again…a real…ladies…man!" Tien chuckled and nodded, everyone having their eyes plastered on the young Saiyan and the girls running around with him.

"His ways definitely rub off on everyone. It seems it attracts a lot of attention too," the tri-clops said with a grin. Piccolo, being apart of the group too, just shook his head with a smile before looking back up at Cell on the Cell Games ring.

Vegeta grinned. _"Well I'll be. Kakabrat has several admirers. That's more female girlfriends then even I can get…and I'm married!"_

After a while of rushing around, Gohan returned to earth with his three friends, Kasia and Jenny finally joining him and their daughters. The young Saiyan smiled around at all of them, walking over to Kasia and giving her a hug as well. When he separated, he looked around at them once more. "What are you guys doing here?" he asked.

"Well," Jenny began. "They wanted to come and support you in your fight with Cell!"

"After you saved us from that monster Cooler, they knew that you could beat someone like Cell," Kasia continued. Gohan chuckled and looked down at Lime, Erran and Anya. Since he was taller then all three of them, it was understandable.

"Is that true?" he asked. The three girls nodded.

"Yeah, we wanted to see you fight, Gohan!" Anya exclaimed.

"And we all know you're going to beat Cell!" Erran continued.

"There's no one else on this planet that can! Only you!" Lime went on as well. Gohan grinned, happiness filling his face. He was touched by their honesty and words of support. So…he had no reason to be worried. He was grateful they came.

"Well…thanks you three…that really means a lot…" With that, he shared a hug with all of them.

Hercule, having watched the commotion long enough, turned to glare at Cell, who had his eyes stuck on Gohan. The creature was obviously in deep thought about what was transpiring in front of him, but after a while of standing around, he knew things had to get under way. Hercule did too, who was more than eager to get this fight underway. Raising his right fist, the champ shouted.

"ALRIGHT!" his voice bellowed, catching everyone's attention and forcing everyone to turn away from Gohan and his fan club. Everybody was silenced, all eyes setting on Mr. Satan. The TV crew was also settled back on the moment, back to recording the main reason they were here. Little did they know, everyone around the world who had been watching was touched by that moment Gohan had shared with Lime, Erran and Anya. But then, when thoughts of what was happening came back, it was down to square one again. Hercule pointed at his opponent still standing ways away. "People of earth, prepare to be amazed! For I the Great Hercule Satan, shall defeat Cell right here, right now! It's show time!!!"

"_**Alright people! We finally have something going on here! Hercule Satan shall be the first fighter to go up and battle Cell!" **_Steve announced. _**"The tournament is underway, and I believe the rules have already been spoken! A fair and square battle for the fate of this planet! Now let's begin!"**_ he yelled, bringing his hand down in a chop motion.

Hercule let out a roar and charged at his opponent, easily reaching Cell who was still standing in the middle of the ring and sending a powerful, right punch at his face. The blow landed, followed up by more and more punches and kicks. Every blow connected easily, with Hercule not even bothering to let up a second. He attacked his opponent with wild fury, fury that every normal human on earth would awe over. However, as it turns out, his attacks were proving to be nothing, and neither he nor the camera crew knew this. The Z-fighters just watched with amusement and anticipation as the champ attacked his opponent. Erran, Lime and Anya, including their parents (minus Lime's parents) were just staring with bewilderment. Gohan shook his head, turning to the three girls standing in front of him.

"He doesn't stand a chance. Look, his blows are having no effect," the young Saiyan stated. The three he was addressing looked up at him in surprise. When they saw how serious he was, they all nodded before turning back.

"_**Would you look at this ladies and gentlemen! The power of those blows can stop a train its tracks! Incredible! And it looks as though Cell is so frozen with fear, he can't do anything about it!"**_

"_Idiots,"_ Vegeta thought. _"Those bakas don't even know that that moron's attacks aren't even working…"_

And so Hercule's futile efforts to inflict damage on his opponent continued. The towering android just continued to allow punches and kicks to come at him. Even though he could see the human fighter ramming his attacks into him full force, Cell could feel nothing. It was as if a feather weight was tackling on a mountain. The android's strength far exceeded Hercule's. The whole world watched in awe as their hero battled the green fighter valiantly, unknown that his efforts were in vein. Within moments, Cell grew tired of Hercule's efforts, and when the human fighter came in with another punch, the android backslapped him into a nearby mountain. Flying directly over the Z-fighters, who didn't even flinch when the body mass went past, Hercule crashed full on into the cliff before falling clear and to the ground. Everyone who was watching their TV screens were shocked, and so was the camera crew. Steve shook on the spot, dropping his microphone.

"_**L-L-Ladies a-and g-g-gentlemen…I-I…c-cant believe what I have just seen…H-Hercule has b-been…"**_ Steven gulped nervously, eyes wide. _**"…d-defeated…"**_

Cell yawned and smiled, turning to the Z-fighters. As the camera crew recovered from their shock, the Z-fighters and their host decided to get the real games started. "Alright…now that that problem as been dealt with lets get things rolling my way," Cell stated with a smirk, waving his hand to them and gesturing to all of the fighters. "So…who wants to fight me out of all of you first?"

Goku smirked and stepped up onto the ring easily, balling his fists and taking a firm stance. His teal eyes locked with Cell's as he stepped up onto the stage. "It's my turn to fight. You guys leave him to me…" The Super Saiyan stated, walking around and taking his place on another part of the ring so that the two of them stood separately at equal intervals. The two fighters both stared each other down, the Z-fighters caught a little by surprise at Goku's immediate rise to the challenge. Cell was also astounded by Goku's confidence, but still sported his confident smile and evil stare.

"You Goku?" the android queried. "I was hoping of saving the best for last…" Goku grinned, taking his Dragon Fist stance and spreading his legs out to shoulder length while moving forward a bit.

"Don't worry, the best has yet to fight you Cell. I just want to see what you can do…and test my own skills and strengths!" the Saiyan declared, glancing over at Gohan and giving him a wink. Gohan smiled and winked back, the Z-fighters puzzled by their actions. The older Saiyan then turned back to stare at Cell. All cameras and eyes were on them now, Steve and his camera man Bob making sure to film this while Hercule (who was just knocked senseless), staggered to his feet.

Cell smirked. "Very well then…it's our fight then…" Gohan chuckled, his expression hardening into one of seriousness.

"It sure is!" he stated. Then, in an awesome display of power, as he dropped deeper into a fighting stance, his golden aura suddenly exploded around him. Igniting with a flash of light, a blast of force winds shot out from his aura, spreading out and striking the Z-fighters. Everyone except Gohan was staggered by the blast. Steve and Bob were nearly knocked off their feet from the blast of energy, but they managed to stay up and keep filming. Krillin, Yamcha and Tien had to fight with great effort to keep their footing. Piccolo, Vegeta and Mirai also had to hold themselves down to keep themselves from flying off, their eyes widening at the amount of power they felt pulsating off of Goku. 18# and 16# were also in shock, their sensors going off the charts. The last of the Z-gang, the audience made up of Lime, Erran, Anya, Kasia and Jenny, were held down by Gohan's own show of force, who kept them well protected from the flying debris with a energy shield. He stood behind them, arms still crossed and eyes glowing turquoise. When Goku's power up was completed, the winds died, allowing the young Saiyan to drop his shield and watch the fight clearly. He could feel his father's power level now, and was overly impressed.

"Do it dad," the young Saiyan stated.

The android chuckled, the winds of Goku's energy still ripping past him. He was unmoved by the Super Saiyan's power up. It was obvious Goku was now at full power, his aura flaring wildly, hair now toned gold and expression now fighting serious. Cell took a horse riding stance as well. In a similar show of strength and energy, Cell powered up, a golden aura bursting out around him and growing with intensity and ferocity. With a loud yell, the android powered up as well to match Goku's, his aura exploding and sending a shockwave rippling across the ring, crackling the ground and shaking the four pike pillars that stood on the fore corners of the ring. The shockwave hit everyone, with Gohan being sure to project a shield around all of his friends this time. The Z-fighters were surprised that they didn't feel the force winds and turned in Gohan's direction to see him standing in the same spot as before, arms crossed and eyes glowing a slight teal. From here, they gazed through the golden, transparent field to see Cell was still powering up, green electricity crackling around him as his ki level skyrocketed. Seconds prior to the beginning of his power up, his aura's ferocity dropped, leaving him standing at his now, present power level.

When the force winds and shockwaves died down, Gohan lowered his shield, allowing a clear view of what was to happen soon enough. Both Goku and Gohan now stood glaring at each other with smiles on their faces. A Perfect Bio-Android against a Super Saiyan, who would win. Well, that remained to be seen.

Cell smirked. "Now…let's get this fight underway…"

Goku nodded. "Count on a good one…" In a flash, Goku disappeared into super speed and appeared directly in front of Cell, sending a powerful upper-cut into the android's stomach. The blow made Cell reel forward, with the force lifting him off the ground several feet. The momentum that also went into the blow moved forward and up, punching straight into the air and rupturing the android's insides.

As soon as that attack was initiated, Goku kneed him straight up in the chin, knocking him staggering back and yelling out from the pain of the blows. He then received a powerful punch straight into the stomach by the Saiyan driving in and honing on his assault. He then brought his left leg round and sent it forward in a powerful, roundhouse kick. The blow dispatched with Cell easily, sending him skywards at an amazing rate. Goku powered up and took flight after him in hot pursuit. When he came upon him in the skies high above the arena, he yelled loudly and sent his right fist out at his opponent. Cell was quick to react, able to flip back and return to an upright position. Seeing his opponent coming in with that punch, he brought up his left knee and blocked that blow, which connected with a shockwave following. Goku brought his fist back and came up further with a left power hook. Cell blocked it, to which he retaliated with a left roundhouse kick that sent Goku plummeting with a yell and a bruised face. He spun out of control, but when he eventually came too, he regained control and spun into an upright position several stories lower compared to the altitude of his opponent. He floated there, unable to hold a fixed position. Seeing his opponent in the defensive, the android warrior took this as his advantage and brought his hands about, throwing them forward and unleashing ki blast after ki blast. The streaks of golden energy shot through the air at their opponent. Quickly, Goku powered up, his aura springing up again and he flew round, hooking around Cell's flank as the blasts soared at him yet missed. Moving round his opponent, he powered up, this time using burst speeds of…

"SUPER KAIOKEN!!!" he yelled, his aura flashing red as he hurled at his opponent. Cell was too slow to act this time, and by the time he managed to bring his hands up to defend, he was hammered across the face by a right hook sent by Goku. The Super Saiyan's red aura vanished, leaving him in his Super Saiyan state and hovering high whilst his opponent plummeted. With a smirk, Goku brought both his hands round, cupping them behind him before throwing them forward, unleashing a weak _Kamehameha_ wave. The blue blast of energy shot at the falling Cell, who managed to stop himself in his fall to see the attack coming at him. With a growl, he dropped into a stance and brought his arm around to his right. In a quick strike, he chopped out at the spear end of the blast and slapped it away, the attack flying into the distance and striking a mountain. The explosion that consumed it was extraordinary, easily collapsing it and turning it into rubble.

Powering up, Cell's golden aura sprung up around him, his whole form supposedly shadowing under the bright glow. Gritting his teeth and biting with great effort, Cell fisted his hands into a horse riding stance before, with a loud yell, he flung both hands forward, unleashing an entire barrage of golden ki balls-blasts that shot out at an extraordinary speed, ripping and curving through the air, hooking straight for Goku. The Super Saiyan recognized that as Gohan's _Scattered Volley Shot _technique, and all the Z-fighters on the ground who were looking up also recognized it. The TV crew and Hercule were speechless, unable to believe what was happening. The fight was obviously going on faster then they could see it. Back to the scene, Goku, out of instinct was able to back flip away as the blasts came at him, flying past his previous position and missing him easily. They ripped through the air and shot into the distance. When they did, Goku floated back down into upright position, gritting his teeth and glaring at his opponent while dropped in a cautious stance. With a growl, Goku through his left hand back and forward with a yell, unleashing a basic ki blast. The quick blast shot at Cell, who disappeared using super speed and reappeared at the side of the pulsing blast line. When it faded, the android threw his left hand and index finger forward, and fired an attack of his own. Using Frieza's technique, he fired a barrage of pink energy beams at his opponent, dubbed _Barrage Death Beam._ At least twenty death beams shot out of his finger, directed straight at Goku. The Super Saiyan avoided them all, fazing out at separate points and moving from left to right as the narrow beams of energy shot at him. After avoiding the last of the barrage, he was still dropped in a prepared fighting stance. But by the time all the beams were fired, Cell was upon him. The android had charged him, and sent a elbow across his face. Goku received the blow, and with a yell of pain was sent flying back. Cell disappeared into super speed once more.

The fight high in the sky took a new turn. As Goku flew back, he curled into a ball and spun round fast, slowing his flight. When he uncurled himself, he immediately spun around and sent a powerful left roundhouse kick at the air. The blow struck something invisible, which materialized into Cell, whose face had been struck. Staggered back, Cell gritted his teeth and glared back at his opponent, fazing out into super speed. Goku growled and did the same, the two of them taking this fight to a whole new dimension. They fought at a rate faster then most people could follow, their blurs seen whizzing through the air in all directions, crisscrossing each other as the two opponents attempted to attack one another. Unfortunately, both opponents were evenly matched and neither was able to land a hand on the other. The Z-fighters' heads swiveled through the air, tracking the two fighters. They could see them flying at extreme speeds, most of the team gob smacked by how fast they were moving. Tien, Yamcha and Krillin were astounded, barely able to keep up with the two of them. Piccolo, Vegeta, Mirai, 16# and 18# were also in shock, unable to believe at the rate the two fighters were at. Lime, Erran, Anya and their parents, though barely able to see them, were also shocked as well. The only one who wasn't in the least bit surprised was Gohan, who was able to see the two as clear as day. he stared up into the sky, a serious expression on his face. Bob, Steve and Hercule were clueless. They couldn't see anybody on the ring but knew it was happening. it was only the sound of shock waves high above that drew their attention skywards to the fight. Goku and Cell were finally beginning to land blows.

Shock wave after shock wave exploded into life, sending ripples of energy coursing through the sky as both fighters locked fists. The brawl continued on, shaking the skies and earth. With every blow that made contact from the attacker to the opponent, the show of force cracked the ground, raising dust and debris. The Z-fighters could feel the earth shake from the very fight that was taking place. It was incredible. The two of them blurred into focus and then disappeared again, having launched an attack but quickly moved into either pursuit or retreat. They broke every chance they got, returning to a quick cat and mouse chase before returning for another engagement. They tore through the skies like rockets, moving across the skies above the arena before moving back down and taking the fight to the ground. You could see clouds of dust rising everywhere they ran, moving at too great speeds to see. They were just flashes and blurs to the people. The cameras returned to the ring at the distinct signs of the renewed fight taking place on the ground. Explosions of shockwaves raised more dust, which hurled over the sides of the ring and onto the audience. It poured onto Gohan, who was now standing closest just so he could stand in the way of any attacks threatening his friends. His hair and clothes waved around in the force winds that occurred, his eyes tracing the paths of the two warriors. He wasn't in the least bit surprised. This was what his father had been training for, and now his full colors emerge.

"_**Folks, this is really out of this world!"**_ Steve shouted into his microphone. _**"Here we have the unmovable object Cell, now fighting with an equally unmovable opponent! The unknown warrior is clashing with the mighty villain, battling an unseen battle above our heads and in the Cell Games arena. This is truly a magnificent spectacle! If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, then I would never have believed it! But who would come out as the victor of this super powered match, the blonde haired warrior, or Cell himself! We shall bring you an update every second folks, this is a fight not to be missed!!!"**_

Explosion after explosion occurred, the two fighters making on brief appearances in the form of blurs. Every time they kicked off the ground, their ki's pushed into their flight and springs, as well as leaps, jumps and attacks, left an energy burst, which sent those rippling shockwaves you could see bursting all over the ring. They moved around constantly, not letting up and giving it their all. Goku was pushed to his limits, not forced into a tight corner just yet, but managing to keep up with his opponent. Same went for Cell, who was battling hard at this level as best as he could against his opponent. Flurries of fists and kicks were unleashed, barely grazing their targets at some points but most of the time making contact with parries or blocks. Both of them were putting up hard defenses that not even a swing of a bat could break. Reappearing, Cell hurled across the ring and sent a right, powered-charge punch at his opponent. Goku crossed his arms over his face, blocking the blow but was staggered back by the momentum, which broke his guard. he back-flipped, landing on his feet on the very edge of the ring before pushing off, jumping into super speed again. The two reappeared again, Gohan spinning through the air and throwing a right roundhouse kick. Cell blocked it with his arm but was knocked back by the force, the attack breaking his guard and sending him staggering to the side. Knocked off balanced, he fell, only to flip, pushing off the ground with his right hand just as his opponent punched at him, only to miss. The android disappeared into super speed, Goku turning his eyes skywards and growling through gritted teeth. He pursued, zapping into super speed.

More flashes, shock waves of bursts of dust occurred along the ring and at low altitudes above the arena. You could see the two blurs shooting around, faster then bullets. They locked horns again, engaging in a brawl that dragged through the skies with the two of them gaining and giving their share of attacks. From here, every blow managed to land, mostly on defenses. They rarely struck their targets. Cell changed tactics, pursing his opponent and chasing him across the ring. They leapt down from the skies, Goku pushing from the ground and retreating as Cell came down, crashing to earth with a kick which resounded in a shock wave before he chased, also disappearing into super speed yet again. They flashed in and out of focus, with Cell obviously on the attack. He attempted to hit his opponent but was unable to catch him. Goku proved to be a worthy opponent. Gohan watched them leap across the ring, Krillin, Tien, 18#, 16# and Yamcha losing them as they were moving at speeds a little too fast for their liking. He saw them moving across the centre, Cell appearing in flight and bringing his right hand about. Goku landed in the centre and kicked off, retreating in defense. When he saw Cell punch out, he fazed into super speed and came down from above with a kick. Cell too disappeared, with Goku hitting the ground instead. Immediately after striking and missing, the Super Saiyan disappeared into super speed, Cell reappearing coming at him in front and throwing a left hook. He looked up and behind him, quickly disappearing again. At that moment, Goku reappeared in front of his dematerializing opponent, throwing a left uppercut, only to hit an after image. Too slow, Goku didn't see Cell coming at him from in front again and received a right hook across the face, and then a left uppercut, these blows made him slide back along the ground, shocked and in pain. Cell was quick to act on this, bringing both hands up as if in boxing and beginning to ram incredibly fast, powerful punches into his face using his right fist. These punches had speed, strength and ferocity, driving Goku back. He didn't stagger, but slid along the hard, flat surface. Goku was unable to defend himself, but he could see, through his blinded, beaten sight Cell fist his left hand and prepare to attack. With a yell, the android threw the face shot, only for Goku to blur out of focus and disappear in super speed.

Cell growled and glared up, seeing Goku reappear in the skies. With an angry yell, Cell threw his right hand forward and fired a golden ki blast. Goku disappeared, avoiding the blast and reappearing behind the android. Cell had no idea his opponent was behind him and was kicked in the back, sending him flying forward. But when he did, he disappeared into super speed, with Goku disappearing and following him. The two of them took their fight into the skies again, Cell's speed and strength increasing to a new level, just to shake things up a bit. He equaled Goku blow for blow, the two of them moving at incredible speeds through the air and clashing with intense fury. Blows landed, but mostly struck defenses or nothing as the two of them moved around. When Cell reappeared, he spun around, seeing Goku reappear behind him and send a punch. Cell fazed out, followed by Goku. This was quickly followed by Cell reappearing with a kick, only this landed with an afterimage. Goku attacked, sending a drive punch into Cell's stomach which sent him skyward. Goku flashed into super speed and appeared behind him in his path, bringing his right hand back and throwing a punch into his back. Cell disappeared just as his fist passed through. The Super Saiyan gritted his teeth and glared angrily ahead of him in frustration. He was battered and bruised, bleeding from the lip and looking worse along his face. Without needing to contemplate anything, he flashed into super speed too, following his opponent.

The two of them crisscrossed the skies as blurs, coming in with swift, fast and powerful attacks, only to miss their targets. Whenever they struck out at him when he was visible, he would disappear, not matter what condition he was in. Goku struck out at what appeared to be Cell, but turned into an after image. He fazed out, just as Cell came in with a jack-hammer strike. He struck an afterimage, and quickly disappeared again when Goku came in with a left uppercut. Goku fazed out, Cell coming at him with an axe kick. As soon as the kick passed through the blurring image, Goku reappeared beside him, throwing a right roundhouse kick at the back of his head. Cell disappeared, followed by Goku. Cell reappeared just as quickly throwing a left punch at Goku's disappearing image, and when he did, he disappeared too. This continued on for quite some time, both fighters growing steadily frustrated at being unable to hit their opponent. But just then, as the Z-fighters watched them continue to chase each other, there was a shock wave as Goku drove his left knee into Cell's stomach. The android reeled forward, shocked, eyes blanked out and spit flying from his mouth. The blow ruptured his insides, driving home. Goku then sent a right hook into his back, but Cell suddenly disappeared into super speed. The Super Saiyan growled, and was about to move when he got right hooked across the face, sent flying back. He stopped himself, halting his flight path with his energy that grinded him into suspension. Goku gritted his teeth, eyes flashing. Just then, he dove down, dropping out of the sky. He landed on the arena smack bang in the centre, when he did; he threw both hands up and fired a golden ki blast skyward. It ripped through the air, Cell reappearing in its path and glaring down at it. He saw the blast approaching him and grinned, holding out his hand towards it.

"The fool…"

Just as he was about to blast the attack heading for him, Goku suddenly appeared in the air some meters to his right. Cell gasped in shock when he saw the Super Saiyan charging at him. In defense, the android held up his right arm to defend, forgetting the blast heading towards him. Just then, the blast struck his face, exploding with sheer force and staggering him. Just then, ripping through the smoke, Goku came in with a powerful kick across his face, sending him hurling plummeting to the ground. Cell easily recovered, the blast being child's play. He fazed into super speed, appearing behind his opponent with a grin and throwing a jackhammer smash into his back. Goku was sent plummeting with a yell, more bruises added to the ones he had suffered already. Cell shot down to the ground, readying himself for his next attack. He managed to beat the Super Saiyan, with Goku crashing to his hands and knees to the ring, creating a small crater on impact. With a yell, he looked up to his left to see Cell approaching him. He was unable to defend himself when Cell threw his right hand at him at close range and fired another of Gohan's signature moves.

"DAISENKO HAAAAAAAAA!!!!" Cell roared, firing off the blue blast. Goku only managed to push off a bit and cross his arms over his face. But the blast struck him in the chest and stomach, expanding as the ball shot forth from the android's hand and then exploding, sending Goku skidding across the ground, his gi ripping as he slid, unable to stop.

Cell chuckled as he stood up, slamming his right fist into the ground and then bringing it up into an uppercut motion, but without the fist. With that movement, the ground rumbled as a crack formed and shot towards its target. Just then, as Goku was correcting his balance and was up righting himself, a series of crystal formations shot out of the ground like water of a wave and curled around him. Within seconds, Goku was enveloped and trapped within a prism of rock-solid diamonds, Gohan's _Shining Strike_ attack. The badly burnt, bruised and battered Super Saiyan struggled against the binds and prism, but it was no good.

He was trapped…

Everyone on the ground was shocked: the Z-fighters, the camera crew, Hercule and especially Gohan. The young Saiyan was unable to believe his father had fallen prey to one of his attacks. The Saiyan warrior furrowed his brow and scowled, sweating nervously. He had to do something now. There was nothing his father could do when trapped in there!

The android laughed as he watched Goku wither in his confinement, the once powerful Super Saiyan warrior unable to do anything. Just then, as he was struggling, he suddenly powered down to normal form. The strain and pressure of being trapped and his muscles throbbing with agony forced him to power down. Now here the strain was limited, but he was in a far weaker state because of it. Cell grinned when he saw this, breaking off one of the diamond stalagmites beside him. The small pillar, now razor sharp spear, spun in his grip as he twirled it between his fingers and padded it in his palm threateningly. Cell smiled up at Goku, seeing him stare at him fearfully.

"Well Goku, it was fun while it lasted," the android exclaimed happily. "But I'm afraid your time is up. Great match though, I enjoyed it." Tossing the crystallized spear in the air, he caught it and then thrust it back, preparing to strike. Goku's eyes widened, sweating running down his brow. Cell gritted his teeth and then drove forward, striking. "SIONARA!!!!!"

Just then, a narrow, golden beam suddenly shot through the air and through Cell's hand, punching a hole through his palm and shattering the crystal spear he held. The android yelled and pulled back, purple blood flying free from the newly made wound. Goku gasped in shop, watching the android stagger back while gripping his wrist with his left hand. Gritting his teeth and biting back the pain, Cell glared over at the Z-fighters to see them staring in clean shock.

"W-Who dares!" he yelled.

It was then revealed who the perpetrator was. Gohan, the young Saiyan standing at the front of the group, had his right hand held out with his index and middle finger pointed out, aimed directly for the point Cell had gotten to in his strike. The young Saiyan flinched, lowering his arm before stepping up onto the ring. He walked over to the towering crystal formation Cell had created that trapped his father. The android stepped away, glaring at him with anger and sweat running down his forehead. Blood continued to drip out of the hole in his hand.

As Gohan approached the crystal, Steve and Bob were in hysterics. _**"Ladies and gentlemen, I cannot believe what had just happened. The blonde haired warrior, who has now found himself trapped, was just saved from a grim fate by a new competitor, a boy it appears! My gosh! Incredible! How brave! What a save! This is truly remarkable!"**_ Steve exclaimed. He then turned to the cameraman, eyes bugging out of their sockets. "Hey, did you get that?!" Bob nodded with a grin.

"Got it all! We're still live!" he exclaimed. Hercule was speechless, gaping at the scene before him. Even he didn't have anything to say about this.

Gohan stopped just short of his father's position. In one swift movement, he crossed his arms over his face and then chopped them out, his arms returning to his sides. That swift movement prompted a change in the area. The crystals that once bounded Goku suddenly got sucked back into the ground…all of them. With no more restraints, Goku fell to the ground onto his hands and knees, coughing and breathing deeply for air. Gohan knelt by his father's side, bringing out a Senzu bean and helping him eat it. His father took it with all haste, and when he was back to full strength, he was helped to his feet by his son. Gohan smiled at him after his father cleared his head and looked back down at him.

"I'll take it from here dad, you did great," Gohan said. Goku blinked a few times, but then smiled and nodded affirmatively.

"Right, good luck Gohan," he exclaimed. With a pat on the shoulder, Goku left the ring to Gohan. The young Saiyan smiled after him and towards his friends, but then scowled and glared over at Cell, fury returning to his stare.

"You're fight is with me now, Cell!" Gohan shouted. "I've been waiting for this!"

Cell growled in frustration, but then smirked and released his hand. The hole that was punched into it healed over quickly and the android stood up to full height. The bruises he had suffered were nothing, and he hadn't lost much energy from his fight with Goku either. He chuckled and glared at Gohan with that cocky, Vegeta like grin. When Goku returned to his friends, he cracked his neck and turned back to the ring, crossing his arms and going on to watch what will happen.

"So, it's Gohan's turn huh?" Piccolo said. He looked up, eyes flickering. "If I know any better, he should be able to handle Cell, no sweat…" Mirai nodded in agreement.

"If anyone can beat Cell, it should be him!" the half-Saiyan hybrid stated. "I know for a fact that my master never gives up without a fight! Gohan won't let us down!"

Lime and Erran raised their fists at the same time and let out a cheer. "YAY! GO GOHAN! GO GOHAN! GO GOHAN!!!" Anya sunk low, worried about being hit by their fists. Krillin, who was standing by, was also watching with a smile. He nodded towards the ring, watching Gohan speak with Cell.

"This should be interesting. Let's see Cell crawl out of this rut now!" the monk said.

From here, the Z-fighters watched and waited, eager to see the fight. Something good was bound to happen, and that's a statement.

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	32. Dance of Death

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Dance of Death_

The Z-fighters remained silent as they watched Gohan stare down his opponent. The two of them continued to glare at each other, silent and in the midst of an intense feud. Now was the round that everyone has been waiting for, the battle between Gohan and Cell. Everyone was watching eagerly and with anticipation. Lime, Erran and Anya had their eyes pasted on the ring, not daring to tear their sights away from the two warriors. The camera crew and Hercule also had their sights fixed with the two fighters, wanting to capture every moment of this next battle. If the last fight was great, then this one should be really extraordinary. But not only did the entire Z-gang want to see the battle through, they also wanted to see Gohan's true power. He never ceased to amaze.

Unknown to the rest of the warriors, Gohan was already steadily powering up. With his slowly rising energy level, the tiles around him and at his feet began crackling with golden sparks of electricity. The currents failed to reach Cell or his yes, yet he knew something was happening. As Gohan glared, his hands fisted at his sides and his feet spread out to shoulder width apart. His stance took on a firm, balanced position, allowing him to initiate the next phase without any trouble. After eyeing his opponent for a moment, Cell chuckled, his own hands fisting and a smile crossing his lips.

"Come now Gohan, enough playing around," the android exclaimed. "Why don't we get this over with? Power up to your maximum, and show me what you can _really_ do…"

Gohan just scowled, unheeded by Cell's taunt toned words. The Z-fighters could sense Gohan's energy level take an immediate rise at this and were astounded at the amount they were already feeling. Krillin turned to his friends standing behind him, nervous beads of sweat running down his forehead.

"Do you feel that guys?" the monk asked. Piccolo nodded affirmatively.

"Yeah, he's already powering up…" the Namekian replied. Yamcha gulped.

"It's incredible, I can already feel how strong he's really become," the warrior stated. Tien blinked with his stance set as one of caution.

"What do you think he plans on doing next?" he asked.

"It's hard to tell," Goku butted in. "My son is unpredictable. He won't let us down…"

"He never has," Mirai continued. Android 16#, who was standing by and watching with great intensity, took a note of the young Saiyan's power level. When he spotted the numerical rise in Gohan through his readouts, his eyes widened in astonishment. 18#, who happened to be standing by Krillin in front of her brother, sensed that 16# was initiating a scan and turned to him, surprised.

"What is it 16#?" 18# asked. The giant android lowered his head, sweating nervously.

"I detect a power level going off the charts. Although it is not as powerful as Goku's yet, it certainly is reaching that magnitude," the red haired fighter replied. "Gohan's strengths are inconceivable…"18# stared up at him in thought and puzzlement, but then, after seeing that he wasn't going to say anything, she turned back to the ring.

Lime, Erran, Anya and their two guardians remained quiet, watching Gohan intently. They didn't want to cheer on now, as they just wanted to see their hero fight.

Steve, at this point, couldn't help but comment on the fight. _**"Ladies and gentlemen, it appears our two fighters are locked in a staring contest! I believe the climax of this battle is yet to rise…"**_ the reporter then turned to Hercule, holding his microphone up to the afro martial artist. _**"Mr. Satan, do you have any comments or explanations for these developing events?"**_ he asked. Hercule was startled out of his gawking state and he turned to Steve in surprise. When he did, he cleared his throat and stood up to full height, that confident expression crossing his face.

"Well uhh…(coughs), as a professional martial artist, I must say that our competitors have great skill. But…" he opened his eyes and smirked at the camera. "There's no way they're a match for me. I'm saving my strength for my real match against Cell after he's beaten that boy." Steve and Bob, gullible enough to believe him, both nodded and continued on with their duties.

"_**Right, so tell us, how is it they're able to perform those amazing attacks, like the flashes of abnormal-out of this world energy and earth quaking punches?" **_Steve asked, pressuring the star champ. Mr. Satan smirked and crossed his arms.

"Well you see they're all tricks! Every flash of light and…and earthquake is generated by a series of explosions and fireworks. Just simple parlor tricks, smoke and mirrors, that sort of thing," he replied. Steve nodded affirmatively, smiling towards the camera.

"_**Well, that's the word from the master of martial arts people!"**_ Steve exclaimed. _**"Could all this firelight and power be generated by mere machine? Or do these fighters possess otherworldly strengths beyond my own? We'll bring you all we can in the next hour!"**_

The Z-fighters heard what had been said, and many of them were outraged, especially Vegeta, who was becoming more irritated at their uninvited audience. Lime, Erran and Anya were also becoming thoroughly more annoyed by the antics of Hercule and his TV crew, especially by saying all of this was a mere trick. However, before any of the other Z-fighters could express any of their feelings, they turned back to the Cell Ring in surprise when they felt Gohan's ki level rise even more.

Taking a firmer stance, the young Saiyan glared harder at his opponent, eyes flickering. Suddenly, the ground around him began to crackle with a fiercer display of golden, electrical currents. The tiles and earth even began to shake, making Cell raise an eyebrow at the child's display of power already. Suddenly, golden electricity consumed Gohan and began flickering around him, shooting outwards and connecting with the four pillars on the four corners of the ring. The currents moved up and down them, as well as across the ground as the field of power expanded and then contracted. With its concentration into Gohan's body, the young Saiyan felt his power rise again, and finally, it hit him. He was ready. Bringing himself into a strong stance, Gohan reared his head back and let out a tremendous cry of power, a shock wave exploding out of him, cracking the tiles and sending dust everywhere. With that it began, he bent lower and gritted his teeth, groaning in agony as more golden bolts of lightning began shooting out around him. Currents ran up and down his body, sparks flying. Then, with a burst of golden light, a radioactive, golden glow began to illuminate off of him, followed by a strange loss of gravity. Tiles and debris began to rise off of the ground and float around him, caught up in his field of power. In another burst of light, his hair suddenly flashed light blonde, spiking up a bit and stiffening from its previous state. Cell and the Z-fighters gasped in shock when they sensed the child's power level take an amazing leap, the lightning storm around him growing with more intensity, more tiles beginning to rise. As Gohan's energy rose, flames of energy began coursing out and around him before suddenly, with one last, bellowing yell, he rose up to full height and powered up. Lifting off the ground a couple of feet, Gohan's golden aura exploded around him, unleashing a gale of wind and a tremendous explosion of force. Cell was nearly knocked over, the Z-fighters even lost their footing. Vegeta tried holding himself in his present position but slowly slid along the ground from the power output ripping at him. His eyes were torn open, showing his shock. Goku and Piccolo had to help hold onto Lime, Erran and the rest of Gohan's friends because of the winds were so great. It was a miracle that Hercule and his TV crew was still standing, hiding behind the high wall that led up onto the ring. The winds continued to blow fiercely, but then they all died, leaving a silent wind once again.

When Cell and the Z-fighters looked back, they were overwhelmed with astonishment when they saw the all new Gohan. Mouths flew open when they gazed upon the young Saiyan standing in his raging energy display. The young Saiyan was surrounded by a fierce, golden aura, golden bolts of electricity shooting out and around him. His eyes had flashed dark teal and his hair was light blonde and, like his gi, was waving in the winds of his aura. To add to this, his muscle span had increased slightly and he was surrounded by a golden, radioactive glow. Cell gawked at Gohan's amazing state and level of power, staggering back slowly as he took it all in. As he continued to stare, he watched the tiles that had once been floating in the air around Gohan come crashing back to the ground, filling in the gaps and landing in their exact positions.

"W-What is this?" he stuttered. "T-There i-is no way that b-boy's power level c-can reach this magnitude! I-Incredible!"

Krillin shook his head and looked back, making sure he wasn't dreaming. "Whoa! Is this for real?"

"It sure is!" Tien exclaimed, also gaping at Gohan in astonishment.

"Man! What a pro! How did Gohan ever get so strong?" Yamcha asked. 18# and 16# behind him were also gaping at Gohan, eyes wavering in their sockets and mouths hanging open. Vegeta was gritting his teeth, staring with bugged eyes at Gohan while trembling slightly. The amount of power he felt was beyond what he could achieve. Even Trunks was in a similar state.

Goku and Piccolo, who had spent a lot of time with the young Saiyan, were shocked as well. Unable to utter any words, they stared at the Son child as if he were some kind of super powered force that had just dropped from the heavens. It was something they had never fully experienced, Gohan's true Super Saiyan power. It was astounding!

Lime, Erran and Anya let out a simultaneous cheer, while Kasia and Jenny stared in surprise. They didn't know how, but Gohan's hair had suddenly turned gold, and that he had underwent an amazing transformation of some sorts. Their children didn't care though. Gohan looked great.

Gohan's glare hardened on Cell, eyes glaring every time his energy passed by his face. "Power up Cell! I know that this isn't the best you can do," the young Saiyan stated. "If you have any chance of beating me, you'll power up to your utmost maximum, and dish out every trick you've got. Believe me, this is just for starters!"

Cell glowered for a moment, but then a smirk and a cocky expression crossed his face. His own eyes flashed sinisterly, and the android threw his hands down to his sides, wings opening as he tensed his muscles. "Alright then, if you're so anxious to witness my true power, then so be it! I was going to power up to maximum anyway, as I was saving it for something like this! Let's go!!!" he shouted. With a yell of power, Cell floated off of the ground, a large crater being punched into the earth as a golden aura burst up around him. His energy display was incredible too, sending winds hurling in all directions as debris and dust were ripped off of the ring and thrown into the air. Cell smirked before his look turned furious and he flung himself into flight across the ring and charged at his opponent. Gohan stood where he was, watching as Cell approached at an incredible rate. As Cell came down at him with a powerful left hook, Gohan kicked off the ground and took to the skies, his form fazing out as Cell's fist passed through him, hurling dust into the air with its force moving elsewhere. Momentum driving him forward, Cell took flight after his opponent, leaving the Z-fighters on the ground to watch the fight now underway.

Shooting up into the skies, Cell prepared to attack. Gohan reappeared floating many stories above the ground, the ring in clear sight, as well as Cell on his approach. Still floating in his aura, the young Saiyan dropped into a stance and watched his opponent charge him down. When the android reached him, with a roar of anger, he threw a right punch at the child, only for Gohan to disappear into thin air once more. Growing frustrated, Cell spun around, tracking his opponent. However, the young Saiyan was the faster, and he immediately appeared behind Cell and threw a right roughhouse kick straight across the monster's face. The android was struck full on, saliva flying free of his mouth as he was sent spiraling out of the control in that one direction of being hit. Gohan followed with a serious expression on his face and teeth gritted. After about 100 meters of flying, Cell stopped himself, dropped into a horse riding stance. Powering up, his golden aura sprung up around him as fierce as Gohan's, and together, the two fighters flew at each other, both of them ten times faster then what Goku and Cell's fight was. To add to it, both of them were powered up to maximum now. So, with their auras flaring and ki levels driven to their absolute limits, the two of them flashed into thin air before they even reached each other. It was from here their battle was taken to a higher altitude, shock waves and explosions suddenly bursting out all across the skies. The two fighters weren't even seen as blurs as they whizzed through the open spaces, charging at each other and attacking one another. The Z-fighters on the ground couldn't even catch a glimpse of them as they moved at such high speeds. The only signs of Gohan and Cell were the explosions and sonic booms punching themselves into the skies, shaking the entire planet with the very force. Gohan and Cell were fighting on a whole new level of power, taking it to that whole new dimension that reached extraordinary feats.

The normal humans on the ground who were forced to look up, like the Z-fighters, couldn't see the two warriors battle it all out above their heads. They thought that two fighter bombers were at war with each other. But it soon became quite apparent that no army could produce such a barrage. Lime, Erran, Kasia, Anya and Jenny, though fully confident at Gohan's abilities to handle himself, couldn't even see their hero fight. They were truly amazed. Steve, Bob and Hercule on the other hand, were completely bewildered. One thing was for certain, they had no idea what was going on!

A tremendous shock wave, larger then all the millions that had already taken place ripped through the skies and shook the earth with its force when it appeared 50 stories above the arena. The two fighters could be seen, flashing into focus with both their elbows locked together. As blue and golden lightning shot out from between the two, they suddenly disappeared again, and so, the explosions of force and shock waves continued. At the fastest rate anyone had ever seen, these bursts of force created ripples. These ripples blew away anything that got within their radius, such as clouds and earth. Whenever the two warriors pulled up close to the ground, massive craters were punched into it. Even one of the pillars, one that got too close to the fray, shattered into thousands of pieces. The Z-fighters were lucky they weren't on that end. A trail of exploding shockwaves went up, moving through the sky and diving close to the earth as the two fighters locked themselves in a long engagement of colossal proportions. Here, as they drew closer, you could see the two blurs of the fighters, fists and kicks flying out of focus. The trail of explosions reached the ring, with Hercule and the TV crew ducking for cover as the explosions got to close, and another crater was punched into the surface of the ring.

Sending a punch at his opponent, Gohan forced Cell back. The android revealed himself, skidding backwards to a stop on the ring and coming into focus. With a roar of anger, Cell threw his right hand forward and launched a golden ki blast at an open space down the way of the ring. The streak of energy hurled onto the horizon of the arena, striking the ground some ways away. It was here Gohan flashed into focus, leaping into the air. With his opponent now in plain view, Cell brought his left hand back, palm faced up. It was then, with a growl of anger, the android produced a large, golden disk. The disk sizzled above his palm, alerting Gohan of it. "DESTRUCTO DISK!!!" Cell yelled, throwing the deadly attack straight at his target. The ki enhanced weapon curved through the air, right on target. The young Saiyan smirked, acting quickly. Reaching over his back, he gripped the handle of his sword. As soon as the disk was in range, he slashed out at it. In a flash of blue, the disk was sliced cleanly in two, all momentum in it disappearing as it shattered into shards of energy, dissipating into nothing. Gohan landed, watching Cell glare at him hatefully. When the Saiyan touched down, he twirled his sword in his hand, directing its blade at his opponent cool style. Because he held it in his left hand, he faced Cell with his left side, sword tilting more to the left. The green android saw the child brandish the weapon threateningly at him, but all he did was smirk and drop into a Namekian fighting stance.

"Do you think I'm afraid of that little butter knife?" Cell taunted, narrowing his eyes further on his opponent. "Do you even know how to use that?"

Gohan frowned, a golden bolt of lightning passing him by. "You're overconfident if you're underestimating me or my Spirit Blade…" Suddenly, Gohan stood up and brought his sword up. He flung it out, pointing it at the ground. He then brought it up again and threw it too his side, a current of blue lightning shooting out of its tip, striking the earth and cracking it. The Z-fighters, Hercule, Cell and everyone who was watching stared in surprise and interest, seeing what would happen next.

In a display of power, Gohan gripped his weapon in two hands and held it up, pointing the blade skywards. Then, powering up using a new source of energy, his aura suddenly turned red. As a further result, it began to swirl around him like a tornado, tearing up the earth. Blue lightning shot out of his whirlwind of energy, which consume his weapon and enveloping it. This show of power continued for a moment or so, but then, seconds later, there was a blinding flash of light. That light was like a solar flare, blocking everyone's view temporarily before it faded. When everyone looked back, they saw what happened to Gohan. And believe them what they saw, it was shocking.

Gohan's overall appearance may not have changed, but the weapon he wielded did. On his left shoulder, he had a spiky, black, pauldron with brown leather straps weaved around his shoulder and wrapped around his arm, which ended in a black, leather glove in his left hand where he usually held his sword. His sword now, which was one a respective, curved claymore with a distinctive handle, had now transformed into a massive sword with a similar curved handle but with a huge blade. The blade's width was about the same width as the handle guard, and its length had increased double its original length. It was huge, with an extremely sharp edge and point. Moving it down, Gohan held it firmly in his left hand and swung it around, twirling it as if it were nothing and ending with the weapon propped up on his shoulder safely atop of his pauldron. He closed his eyes, a serious expression still imprinted on his face.

Goku stammered. "W-What is that?"

Piccolo gulped. "Nothing I've ever seen, that's for sure…"

Lime, Erran and Anya were awe struck. "Wow!" they all shouted at once.

"That's the biggest sword I've ever seen!" Erran exclaimed.

"And I bet it's really sharp too," Kasia added, pulling her child too her. "Better keep away from it."

Krillin blinked. His eyes were wide like saucepans. "H-How did he do that? I've never seen him do that before!"

"I have," Trunks said. All the Z-fighters, including Gohan's girl friends, looked at the time traveling warrior, seeing him staring at the Saiyan warrior with awe. Vegeta looked at his son, very nervous himself.

"You know what that is?" Mirai nodded affirmatively.

"Yeah, I know exactly what it is," Trunks replied. "Ever since my master told me all about his weapon, he showed me all the things he could do with it. Not only was it the strongest sword of its kind in the universe, but in his hands, it tripled in strength and became a weapon of precision and efficiency. With it, he could summon its energies and modify it. By doing so, the sword can morph into all sorts of blades, making it twice as efficient and twice as deadly. This blade is what he calls his Buster Blade. You can tell because of its massive blade and the ability to quick strike with it, and it's also amazingly light, as well as strong. Its density is far greater then it's mass. But what's more terrifying about it is the fact that it can cut through even the strongest metal in the universe, cleaving it in two!" The Z-fighters gaped at Trunks, before turning back to the field to see what would happen.

Cell stepped back, taking a more cautious stance as he set his sights on Gohan. The young Saiyan still had his eyes closed, the wind blowing by him making him stand in a cool way, easily standing out with his new weapon. After a moment or so, the android growled and took a step forward, hands fisting.

"Why you brat!" he growled. "Do you think that sword scares me?! Even with that weapon, you are nothing!" Gohan was unfazed by his words. He continued to stand there, as if no abusive words were sent at him. Getting no response out of his opponent, the android quickly grew more irritated. He held up his right fist, which trembled with his anger. "Fine! Don't say anything! I'll incinerate you and your sword!!!" He pulled his hand back, a ball of golden energy forming. With a yell, he pitched it at Gohan, the attack curving through the air and growing as it approached. "HAVE IT!!!"

The ball of energy crackled with golden electricity as it soared at Gohan at incredible speeds, threatening to strike him. When the young Saiyan sensed the attack approaching him, he suddenly sensed the energy ball enter his field of defense. So, without even bothering to open his eyes, Gohan moved his sword of his shoulder and, moving a bit to the side, he brought his weapon around and slashed outwards to his side, the blade slicing through the air like butter, easily handled in his grip. In a flash of blue, his slash sliced the ki ball in two, the two halves soaring past him without inflicting any damage. They disappeared into thin air after flying past, now that their efficiency had been cut in half. Cell gasped when he saw his attack swept away, and so, he got even angrier. With a yell of rage, he powered up and flew at Gohan, who stood with his weapon still held out at his side. Now the fight was on.

When he sensed Cell's approach, Gohan acted quick. Bringing his sword back, he gripped it in two hands and leaping into the air, he quickly came down, sword's blade pointed up. Without any effort, and with his eyes still closed, he brought his sword into a downward strike, directed straight at Cell. The android saw Gohan's swift attack, and with a yell of shock, he leapt to the side, just as the young Saiyan's blade came down on him. The sword struck the earth, cracking it and seemingly splitting the ground completely in two. The energy of the attack traveled on, a massive split starting from the tip of his blade and moving forward, cutting the ring cleanly in two. The Z-fighters were in shock when they saw what had happened. But it wasn't over yet. Cell, who had, moved to the side and landed, skidding to a stop, took a defensive stance. He watched Gohan stand up, bringing his massive sword around before flying at the android, eyes still closed. Cell took immediate action, leaping into the air just as Gohan slashed out at him with his blade. The android, as he was flying over Gohan and threw the air, held his right hand up and towards the young Saiyan. With a yell, the android fired off a blue energy ball straight at the child, yelling Vegeta's known words. "BIG BANG ATTACK!!!"

The ball of energy soared straight for Gohan's back. It threatened to send the young Saiyan into oblivion, but the child new better. Sensing the attack approaching, he opened his eyes and gritted his teeth. With a yell, he leapt into the air, and performing a back flip, kicked up at the attack with a charged up shin. His kick struck home, like hitting a soccer ball. It was with that move did he send the attack straight back up at its owner. Cell gasped, moving to the side as the attack zipped passed him, heading straight for a distant mountain. The mountain exploded into a fire ball, reduced to nothing but a crater full of rubble. It was then when Cell glared back at his opponent to see Gohan, who was still airborne, turn around and bring his sword up, blade held up. The android growled and then charged, hurling through the air and heading down for his opponent, fists raised back in attack. The young Saiyan furrowed his brow, concentrating hard as the android flew at him. It was then through great speed and stamina, Gohan backed away as Cell threw a right fist down at him, to which he avoided. The android then came back up with a left body shot, forcing Gohan to move to his right and back away more to Cell's outside to avoid it. With a yell of effort, Cell sent a right roundhouse kick up and at Gohan, swiping through the air to strike. Gohan avoided it again. Right after leaping back from that, the young Saiyan spun around on the spot and sliced out at Cell's head. The android ducked it barely, and came up with a new attack. He brought hi right hand back, a golden energy ball powered up in it. He punched out at Gohan with it, aiming for his face. The young Saiyan responded by moving his sword up, the blade acting as a shield in front of him, which blocked the blast and causing its explosion to backlash with incredible force. Burning Cell's hand with the force adding up to its blow back, the attack sent Cell flying and spinning out of control.

Quickly, Gohan sheathed his weapon, which instantaneously transformed back into his old sword. His pauldron and glove vanished, leaving him back in his original outfit. Powering up, so that his golden aura sprung up around him, the young Saiyan shot at Cell full speed. With a new power build, he struck out with his right palm, intent on knocking his opponent down. Cell, however, was ready. He grabbed Gohan's wrist and sent his own punch at him. The young Saiyan grabbed his fist, and quickly acting on fighter's instinct, spread his arms out. As a result he pulled Cell towards him. When he did, he drove his knee straight into his face, knocking Cell back with a shockwave resounding. Dropping back, the golden haired warrior powered up, his aura flaring wildly. When he did, he threw both hands forward and unleashed one of his signature moves, _Scattered Volley Shot_. A series of golden energy blasts shot froth from his hand, a barrage of twelve highly concentrated attacks that shot at Cell and exploded on impact. The android was badly beaten up, a cloud of smoke blinding all view of all damages inflicted upon him. Gohan lowered his hands dropped into a fighting stance and watching the cloud of smoke dissipate. But before it could, he suddenly heard the words, "KA-ME-HA-ME-HAAAAA!!!" and suddenly, a blue blast shot out of the cloud and straight at Gohan. The young Super Saiyan only had time to cross his arms over his face before the attack struck his defense, exploding with magnificent ferocity that sent him flying back several meters. Because of his defense, he was alright, but he was still slightly damaged. Lowering his arms, he glared at the cloud, only to see Cell fly out of it and charge at him with a yell. Gohan responded, flying back and engaging the android in another furious battle. Their fists struck each other, exploding into a shock wave. This was followed up a knee, then an elbow and finally a hook. All attacks struck each other, doing relatively no damage before the two fighters, flashed into super speed. More sonic explosions and gales of force began exploding across the skies, the atmosphere coming too close to the very fight. The Z-fighters' eyes kept wheeling left and right with the full intention of trying to lock onto their targets. But unfortunately, they both moved so fast it was impossible to spot them.

The two of them battled across the skies and clouds, each attacking each other and receiving their fair share of damage. However, with his strength the superior and having endured harsher battles then this, Gohan was on a winning streak. He managed to fight back Cell's attacks on his own, not letting up for an instant. As the fight grew fierce and both their powers rose, everyone felt that the entire area would soon collapse. But it wasn't over yet. Flying straight down to the centre of the ring in the form of a green bolt of lightning, Cell landed, glaring up with fury edged in his eyes. Suddenly, he saw Gohan appear many stories above, flying straight down as well. With a yell, Cell drew his right hand back and threw it forward, unleashing a blue ball of energy. Well, it seemed like a blue ball of energy, but not until it broke up into 100's of small, blue death beams. Cooler's signature move. Gohan slowed his flight path, watching as the barrage of narrow beams curved in every direction before flying at him again. He was ready. Drawing back his left fist, a golden orb of energy formed around his hand. With a loud yell, he sent an uppercut forward, striking the barrage of beams at once. In a mighty explosion, all the attacks went up, lighting up the sky with the force of an atomic bomb. The shockwave nearly knocked everyone off their feet, but when the explosion died, there was a cloud remaining. Cell, sensing his opponent was still alive, powered up. A green aura burst up around him, burning furiously while both his hands were drawn back. With a yell, he threw his hands forward, firing off one of Gohan's moves. "SCATTERED VOLLEY SHOT!!!" The barrage of golden blasts curved through the air and shot into the cloud, disappearing. Another explosion occurred, this one twice as powerful as the last. Yet another, thicker cloud took its place in the sky. Gohan was nowhere to be seen.

Grinning, Cell finished off his assault, bringing both his hands forward and placing his thumb and fingers together, forming a diamond shape with his hands. Gazing through the space made by his hands, he held it forward, his view enhancing and magnifying on the cloud. Everyone knew what attack that was. With a grin, he powered up and launched the blast, yelling "TRI-BEAM HAAAAAAAA!!!!!" An orange, diamond shaped attack shot out and expanded, striking the cloud before igniting into a far more deadly explosion which rocked the skies and shook the earth. Everyone gazed transfixed on the fireworks display. Within moments, the explosion died, leaving nothing left but a mist. Cell chuckled, his eyes glued onto the area he had been attacking. He was expecting to see a smoking body flying in the middle, but then when all the smoke cleared, he was shocked to find nobody was there. No body, no remains, heck not even burning ash remains.

"What's going on?" he shouted. "Where's the blasted body! GAH!!!" He growled in frustration, his eyes searching the skies for his opponent. It was all clear, but there was no trace of the Super Saiyan child anywhere. He cursed at himself to have lost him, and continued looking around. But then, when he caught onto the Z-fighters' eyes, he saw that they were all staring at him. But why?

Then, it hit him, literally…

"Looking for me," a familiar voice said from behind, resulting in Cell turning around in response. With his defense lapsed, he got pummeled right in the stomach when a fist came out of nowhere. This was followed up by a hook across the face and then a knee into his chest. The three powerful blows winded the android and staggered him back, his hands placed over his gut. It was then when he suddenly coughed up purple blood, his essence spilling onto the ring. He looked up, eyes bugging to see a equally damaged Gohan standing there with a tattered, torn gi and a bleeding lip. His forehead also had a bruise but wasn't anything severe. He was relatively okay. The young Saiyan glared, everyone on the ground shocked, including Cell.

The android growled, glaring at him furiously. "Why you? How did you do that?"

"Do what?" Gohan queried.

"Get behind me, that's what!" the android yelled. Gohan raised his hands, taking his Mystic Dragon stance.

"I'm not telling you anything!" Gohan stated. "We're in the middle of a fight, and that's what we're going to do! Fight to the death!!!" Cell growled, standing up to full height and taking a powering up stance.

"Is that so!" he shouted, before smirking. "Well then, this should be interesting! For I have yet to show you young warrior what I'm truly capable of!" Gohan furrowed his brow, his energy spiking up. He reached back and drew his sword. With a flick to the side, a blue flash of light consumed his hands, along with a current of electricity that crackled and sizzled around it. In that instant, when the light disappeared, his sword had once again morphed into a new type of blade. This one had a larger, claymore blade, wider and thicker. It wasn't as big as his Buster Blade, but it was sure smoother. His handle had also changed. Although it still curved, on the Pummel was now silver, as was the handle guard. The handle guard however has changed a lot. Along the base of the blade was a metallic version of a skeleton, its rib-cage enveloping the blade where it tightened and the scowl being its symbol. It also had dragon wings as the guard for the handle. To add to it, the entire sword crackled with blue electricity with every movement. The young Saiyan brought it into a sword fighting stance, electric blade pointing at his opponent who looked more surprised then ever.

"Can it…!" Gohan said. Cell yelled and threw his hand back, a ball of blue energy forming and growing in his palm. It crackled as his aura sprung up around him, his energy concentrating into his attack.

"Fine then! DAISENKO HAAAAAAAA!!!!" the android yelled, throwing his hand forward and firing off Gohan's most powerful attack. The bellowing blast shot out of his palm, with triple the strength of Goku's Kamehameha wave. It hurled through the air, flying directly at Gohan with no inclination of stopping. However, that was about to be tested. Taking his basic stance again, Gohan pulled his sword around and held it back, before slashing forward with it. As soon as it came in contact with the spearhead of the enemy blast, it suddenly got sucked into his blade, transforming into a more powerful current of electricity that ran up and down his sword. Cell was shocked beyond belief, so were the Z-fighters.

"What in the world!" Yamcha shouted.

"Gohan's sword sucked in that blast completely!" 18# yelled as well. Everyone else was just speechless. However, someone needed to answer everyone's questions, and that one person who wasn't shocked enough was Trunks.

"It's the Sword of Aragon…the Angel's Blade!" Mirai exclaimed, eyes wide. "Unlike the other swords, this one has the ability to absorb all energy attacks, no matter how powerful the attack is. Though the Spirit Blade and all his other blades destroy or deflect energy attacks, this one can suck any into its own steel, so Gohan can control any high-powered energy attack sent at him!" the young warrior said. Everyone heard him, but didn't say a word.

"How many blades does he have exactly?" Piccolo asked. Mirai shrugged.

"Don't know. I've only seen ten of them," the warrior replied.

With a yell of rage, Cell charged at Gohan, bringing his right and left hands back and sending energy into them. In flashes of light, green energy blades formed around his hands, wrists and arms, sizzling with great intensity. Gohan saw him approach and smirked, flying at the android in kind and locking him in a furious battle of blades. Sword struck out against energy slashes, both of them locking in that duel. They leapt around, using super speed to pursue each other. Every now and then they would appear on the ring, striking out at the other and locking blades. Everyone could see them move this time, with their weapons spinning around like whirlwinds, and their strikes deadly and precise. It would seem that both super powers had the upper hand. However, it was clear it was not to last.

The next time they reappeared, Cell slashed out at Gohan, who blocked his strike and held it in place. With a quick movement of his blade along the android's wrist, his sword sucked in the energy from Cell's arm, and the energy blade shattered, making Cell reel back in shock. He tried striking out again, but then when he struck Gohan's incoming blade, the energy shattered again, staggering the android. With a yell of rage the android leapt back. He increased distance between him and his opponent, making it safer for him. Gohan, satisfied with the damage he had inflicted on Cell's energy, sheathed his sword and took a fighting stance. Just then, the two fighters shot at each other in super speed form, locking in the centre before engaging in yet another intense brawl across the arena and through the air closer to the ground. The Z-fighters had to cover their eyes on some occasions as debris flew at them whenever the two moved close to the edge. Shockwaves continued ringing out at an extraordinary rate, sending dust and debris flying everywhere. Particularly strong ones burst out with such strength it cracked the ground or punched another crater into the surface of the ring. Lime, Erran and Anya cheered Gohan on, while their mothers held them back, worried for their safety. Steve and Bob continued their duties and filmed the whole thing, leaving Hercule flabbergasted.

"_**Folks, this is turning out to be an amazing battle! Though unseen by most of us for a majority of the time, it appears that the two hard warriors are turning this into a fight to the death! There will be no letting up here for either of them ladies and gentlemen! This is real hard core stuff!!!"**_ Steve yelled into his microphone. He was right; it was one hell of a battle.

Gohan and Cell came into focus, leaping across the ring while locked in a furious brawl. Fists and kicks flew, both of them glaring each other down during the whole ordeal. More craters were formed by their powerful attacks as well, with the two of them flashing in and out of sight. The fight may have been traceable at some points, but all over it was hard to know who had the upper-hand in it all. However it was plainly obvious Gohan was winning. He countered every furious assault Cell launched at him, and retaliated with double the force. Now it was Cell's turn to feel the pain and fear he had caused for so long, and Gohan was giving it to him fair and square. It may have been a fight to the death, but Gohan wasn't going to use any dirty tactics to win it. He fought honorably. And that was a fact.

Suddenly, the fight began moving so fast that even the shockwaves came up in all unexpected places. Two more pillars were knocked down, leaving only their bottom halves standing and on the verge of crumbling. The Z-fighters now had all lost track of them, they were moving so fast they were invisible. Then the heat was turned up, and both fighters began giving it their all. The shockwaves appeared more and more fierce and powerful, their doubled strengths cracking the earth and punching more craters into them. Real damages were being made. As the two fighters flew at each other and locked elbows, they kicked off, still using super speed. Cell managed to slow himself down from going back too far and shot back at Gohan, pulling his right leg back and throwing an incredibly powerful knee into Gohan's stomach. The child received the mind-boggling blow, his cheeks puffing at being winded. He then spewed up a ton of blood, which splattered along his gi top and flew everywhere. But that was child's play compared to what he could take. He quickly recovered, and came back at Cell with a tremendous right roundhouse kick across his face and an upper cut into his stomach. These two blows staggered Cell, with the young Saiyan's fist being left in the android's stomach. It was after these combo blows did Cell spew up his own blood, purple fluids splashing everywhere and staining his clothes. But the two of them continued regardless of their damages, clothes being ripped and severe bruises continuing to be made. They fought on, leaping across the ring and hurling through the air. It made everyone dizzy, looking from left to right so quickly. It made their heads spin.

Suddenly, they heard a tussle behind them and a slight gust of wind. In surprise, the Z-fighters turned around and looked behind them. There, just a few meters away, they saw Gohan and Cell wrestling on the ground. Cell was on top of the young Saiyan and pinning him down with an elbow and his hand, with Gohan trying to grapple him off. Both of them glared hatefully at each other, their energy levels forming winds that escaped them and blew at the Z-fighter standing around, staring in shock. Then, with a yell of effort, Gohan brought both his hands under Cell's chest and powered up a ki blast, which sent Cell flying off of him and into the sky. The android disappeared into super speed again. Gohan quickly got back onto his feet, powering up and giving chase. More shock waves followed a split second later after the two of them flashed out of focus, moving them into another battle. They reappeared on the ring again, Gohan kicking Cell into the last standing pillar which collapsed under the weight of Cell and the force of his backward flight. As it crumbled the android back-flipped and returned to an upright position. With a yell, he went super speed, flying straight at Gohan who landed ring centre, and was glaring ahead of him. When he saw Cell flying at him, the young Super Saiyan let out a yell and threw a left roundhouse kick into the air, striking Cell directly in the face and clothes lining him. The android flew past, staggered and spiraling out of control. Seconds later, he crashed to the ground, skidding on his left leg, right knee and hands, which helped slow him down. When he stopped he stood up and glared hatefully at his opponent, who back-flipped away and landed in a fighting stance on the other side of the ring. Then the two of them stopped for the moment, maintaining their positions.

They both panted heavily, both of them with blood staining their skin and/or clothes. Gohan was clutching his right chest, with Cell his stomach. If they knew any better, they found it hard to breathe because of the damages inflicted. However, they were both tough. Seconds after they had started panting, they both eased their breathing, with Cell smiling while Gohan wiped his mouth of any blood. He wanted to remain as descent as possible.

"Well done," Cell exclaimed cheerfully. "You've actually managed to beat me in both strength and speed at my 100 percent maximum!" the android exclaimed. "However, this is where I will show you my utmost maximum! I shall exceed 100 percent and power up to 110 percent, the perfect of perfect forms!!!" Cell roared. Gohan raised an eyebrow, curious to see how he would achieve this. The Z-fighters were actually worried now.

Balling his fists, Cell took a powering up stance and raised his ki to its limit. With a shockwave and an incredible display of energy, a golden aura exploded around him and his power soared through the roof. It increased beyond anyone's expectations. Gohan remained in his fighting stance, staring at the android as he powered up. Everyone was nearly knocked off their feet at the amount of energy that radiated off of Cell as he powered up. Shockwave after shockwave exploded out from him, bolts of golden electricity joining his warping energy as he continued to grow more and more with strength. Within moments, his energy level had increased to an astounding level, and from here, he was done. His aura, which had once expanded to an incredible radius, shrunk back into a normal aura, one with green bolts of electricity surrounding him. His wounds had practically healed over and he was smirking at Gohan with pink, flashing eyes.

"So kid, care to take another shot?" the android explained, holding his hand up and gesturing for him to bring it on. Gohan furrowed his brow and frowned even more, golden bolts of energy suddenly shooting around him. It was then when he powered up, his aura exploding around him. With a yell, Gohan hurled himself across the ring and charged at his opponent, fists raised back in attack.

With a show of force, Gohan threw a punch straight Cell's face. He only managed to move it to the side and bury his fist in, but with no damage whatsoever. Cell smirked. Growling through bared teeth, Gohan continued hammering punches away into Cell's upper body, kicks joining them in his flurry. The Z-fighters were shocked, seeing how much Cell's endurance, durability and strength had increased. The android couldn't even feel the young Saiyan's attacks as they struck him. The shockwaves that followed burst all over Cell's body but did nothing, even less then Gohan's blows did. Then, after unleashing a unyielding assault onto his brick wall of an opponent, Gohan pulled back. Cell immediately attacked after Gohan stopped, sending a left jab across his face. The young Saiyan was sent flying back from the punch but didn't go far when Cell sent an upper cut into his stomach, then a hook and an elbow across his face, and finally a left side kick to his stomach to send him on his way. The assault was quick and powerful. Gohan landed on his own two feet but continued sliding back before eventually stopping. He staggered forward, falling a bit off balance but fell onto his right hand, which supported him. Panting, Gohan glared up with gritted teeth, body trembling with even more blood leaking out of the corner of his mouth. Cell grinned.

"Man, he's quick!" Krillin said.

"His speed has increased as much as his strength," Piccolo continued, gritting his teeth nervously. "His power has risen dramatically. It's almost impossible…"

"Is there no end to this fiend's power?" Vegeta growled.

Gohan coughed, wiping the blood away from his bottom lip and getting to his feet. He saw and heard Cell laugh with amusement before holding his left hand towards him. The young Saiyan didn't falter under it, not even after sensing an incredible level of energy flow into the android's forward hand. The Z-fighters gasped when they saw a golden orb of energy form in front of Cell's outstretched hand. The android let out a sinister chuckle and further enhanced his sights on his target. He could see how much Gohan had weakened, and so knew how much energy he needed to finish him.

"It was a nice run kid," the android exclaimed. "But I'm afraid your winning streak is at an end. Therefore, I bid thee farewell, and wish you a happy trip to the Otherworld," Cell said. Gohan said nothing. The Z-fighters began worrying about the child, wondering if he was going to be doing anything to stop Cell's attack. But all the young Saiyan did was return to a proper standing position and glare ahead of him at the android. With a smirk, Cell put the last ounce of power he needed into his charging attack. "GOOD-BYYYYYYEEEEEEE!!!"

With a loud bellow of force, his attack shot forth from his hand and expanded to an incredible level, enveloping Gohan and consuming him in a burning fate. The very earth itself shook as the blast shot out, absorbing its target and practically disintegrating it and continuing on. Lime, Erran and Anya cried out for Gohan, while the other Z-fighters gazed with open shock at what had just happened. The camera crew and Hercule were also shocked beyond belief, and moments later, the blast died out, leaving nothing left but a cloud of thick smoke and a ruined ring from that last attack. Cell laughed, while Lime, Erran and Anya whimpered in hurt in the background with the Z-fighters gaping in pure shock.

The android glared ahead of him, seeing the result of his work unfold. "Well, that was easy…" he trailed off. He sensed something…something big. As he gazed into the cloud of smoke his expression became one of uncertainty. And then, it turned into a look of fear and shock as the cloud slowly cleared, and from within it, a shadowy figure emerged. The Z-fighters, once slowly being overcome by grief, also gazed up in shock. Lime and the other two girls also dropped from their grief stricken states and were also staring, surprised when they saw Gohan emerge from the cloud. Then it hit them. An incredible power surge beyond anything they had ever encountered. Not even Cell could produce such an astounding level. With the appearance of this familiar presence came a new form that had enveloped Gohan, one different from any form the Z-fighters had seen. When the smoke cleared, Gohan was revealed to be alive and well, but his body and outward appearance had changed dramatically. Standing in the same damaged outfit as before, the child had undergone a new transformation. Though no golden aura surrounded him, the young Super Saiyan had a bio-electric field of blue electricity crackling fiercely around him. His muscle span had increased a bit more, plus his height, and his hair had changed from slightly spiky and light blonde to a darker, golden blonde with strands of hair that stood on end and a single bang of hair that hung over his forehead. His eyes had also changed from teal to turquoise. It was a surprise to see him alive, but it was an even bigger surprise to see him in the next form of Super Saiyan.

Gohan glared up at Cell, his eyes filled with high spirits, fury and a fighter's shine. "It's over Cell…I'm putting an end to this!!!" were the words spoke from the Super Saiyan 2 warrior.

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	33. Final Confrontation

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Final Confrontation_

Cell gasped and staggered away, limbs trembling with his aura still up as he watched Gohan glare at him. The child's survival was shocking, especially since the half-Saiyan had reached a level of power beyond his own. Well, at least that's what he wasn't hoping for. But it was undeniable, the boy had survived, and here he was, standing in a field of blue electricity as a whole new person. The Z-fighters were also shocked beyond belief, gaping at Gohan, speechless. The TV crew and Hercule were also silent, paralyzed with astonishment. With the dust finally settled, they could see Gohan's full form, standing in all his golden glory.

Goku stammered. "W-W-What the?"

"Gohan!" Piccolo managed to choke out, blinking several times to see if he wasn't hallucinating. Well, he tried adjusting his senses too. With them checked and feeling better, he could now fully say that Gohan was alive and better then ever.

"I can't believe it!" Trunks exclaimed. "Gohan did it! He actually did it!"

"R-Refresh m-m-my memory again," Krillin stuttered in his speech. "W-What did he do again?"

"He's found a new level of Super Saiyan!" Tien replied for Krillin, fixing up his confusion.

"Incredible," Yamcha continued, still trying to figure out whether he was dreaming or not.

"Even if I can see it with my own eyes, I still can't believe it!" Vegeta choked out as well, blinking in shock. _"That brat has done the impossible! Not even my year's worth of training could push me to that level! How does he do it?"_

Lime glanced over at her friends and held up a fist. "Yeah! Gohan can't possibly be beaten now!" she exclaimed. Anya glanced back at her, so did Erran, who was standing in the middle of the group of three. "He's got Cell on the ropes!"

"How do you know?" Anya asked incredulously. Erran smiled at her, eyes sparkling.

"Because we know so!" the blonde haired girl exclaimed. "Your heart knows! Trust it!"

16# and 18#, who hadn't said anything just yet, were still gawking at Gohan's incredible power boost. Not only were they gazing at his newly achieved form, but were also shocked he had managed to survive a blast that had the capabilities of wiping out an entire city. However, it was possible since the boy had extraordinary abilities, abilities that could surpass anyone's. 16#'s expression lowered from shocked to serious as his sensors calculated the total of the young Saiyan's power, and his odds of winning.

"_Gohan's energy, strength and power has increased phenomenally. My scanners could not detect any reserve levels of strength before hand. Only one explanation can be had of this…"_

"_A miracle,"_ 18# exclaimed in her head, beads of nervous sweat running down her brow. She was trembling in her boots, limbs not responding even if her artificial brain was running on full capacity. _"There is no other explanation for this! Gohan's amazing!"_

"_**Ladies and gentlemen, something strange has happened out here on the field! After witnessing the initial death of the boy at the hands of Cell by some otherworldly attack, he has come back! But it seems the boy has changed! He's no longer glowing gold folks, but has a field of electricity surrounding him! What could possibly come of this astonishing transformation?**_ Steve yelled into his microphone, turning to Bob standing behind his camera and shaking in his boots.

"Hey! Buck up man! We want to get a clear picture of this!" Steve yelled. Bob turned to him, looking like he's about to piss his pants.

"Is it…possible to ask for a raise at this point?"

Hercule remained silent in the background, gaping at the pitch.

Gohan continued to glare across at his opponent, eyes flickering with gold flashes as blue lightning and electricity continued shooting out of him. He had Cell in his sights and had no inclination of letting him gain the upper hand anymore. The android was shaking in his boots, backing away ever so slightly. However, as they stared, Cell became aware of their current situations and smirked. Although he was still sweating nervously, he was still able to raise a sinister smile.

"So…this is your true power huh?" Cell said, nodding to the boy. Gohan said nothing. His eyes remained locked with Cell's electricity sizzling around him. It zapped and crackled, one bolt striking the ground and sending sparks into the air. As a show of irritation to the android's behavior and the amount of anger he felt towards him, Gohan balled his fists, his ki taking a leap. A bolt of electricity shot at Cell's face, but the android managed to avoid it as it zipped past and exploded meters behind him. More sparks flew. Judging that as an act of defiance, Cell growled and glared at his opponent, limbs trembling. "Well it won't help you! So you've changed your hair and sparked up your energy level! Big deal! That doesn't scare me! Let's see how long you can keep that up for when I start smashing your face into the ground!"

With a roar, Cell's energy level increased, his aura expanding with a burst of wind. Then, in an incredible display of force, the android took flight and hurled at his opponent. His charge marked a path along the ground, throwing dust and debris into the air as he made his way towards his opponent. A loud yell escaped his lips as he rose above the ground, bringing his right fist back and powering up. In that second, he was upon his opponent, coming down at him with that attack. Gohan didn't flinch, the Z-fighters watching with anticipation and shock. Then, when it seemed Cell's attack would strike, the young Saiyan acted. There was a split second flash and a burst of energy when suddenly a fist found itself impaled in Cell's stomach before it shot out the other end. Purple and green blood splattered, and was sent flying everywhere as a clean hole was punched straight through the android. Cell's aura vanished completely, leaving a very shocked, winded and stunned android standing on that exact spot. His eyes bulged out of its sockets and his body trembled as if he had a seizure. Gohan had driven his right fist straight into him; his fist sticking out Cell's back and a serious expression still written on his face. The Z-fighters were shocked none to say the least. They didn't even see Gohan move an inch.

With a grunt, Gohan yanked his arm and fist out of Cell's body, dripping with the android's essence. Now overwhelmed with pain, the mighty creation of terror backed away, staggering as he clutched the newly made hole in his gut. His mouth was agape, purple blood leaking out, including saliva. It was a sight to make anyone sick. Gohan, however, wasn't. With little effort, he threw his right hand sharply to the side, throwing the blood that was smeared all over his arm off. It splattered to the ground, joining the puddle that had formed around him from breaching the android's once impenetrable wall. Cell was speechless, so were the Z-fighters. Turning to his friends, Gohan nodded to them.

"Close your eyes guys," the young Saiyan said. "This next show is restricted…"

Lime, Erran and Anya did what they told and shut their eyes, their mother's shielding them with their hands. The Z-fighters just watched, accustomed to seeing such gore. However, what was to follow would make them all cringe. Cell, having just about enough of these games, was about to launch another attack when he suddenly got pounded right in the face by Gohan flying up and sending a right uppercut into his chin. The blow shook the ground, lifting Cell off the ground a bit and sending him flying back from the blow. But before he could even get on that path, Gohan brought his left fist back and sent a mind-boggling punch into Cell's chest, right under the breast bone. Cell reeled forward, eyes bugging out of their sockets and more blood flying free of his mouth. The very blow shook the earth and caused a shock wave. Gohan wasn't done. He floated up so that he was in front of Cell's face. With a quick spin on the spot, he sent a backwards roundhouse kick with his left leg across Cell's face, and then a right to his neck and, spinning one last time, brought his left leg up and down on the same spot of his neck, knocking him senseless and off balance. He then brought his right leg and roundhouse kicked straight into the same area of Cell's face, a massive bruise pounded into the android's cheek with more blood flying. Gohan moved forward quickly, throwing a powerful left hook across Cell's face and brought it back round with a hammer strike. He then ended it with a drive right elbow straight down into Cell's gut and then ended it by pulled back and sending a powerful left side kick into the same spot, breaking many bones and muscles. Cell was sent sliding back, feet skidding and burning along the ground before the android came to a staggered halt.

Bending over, Cell coughed, choked and breathed in through battered lungs, his body aching all over. He panted for air, eyes wide and popping out of their sockets and his mouth agape. It was easy to say he was in agony. With a wretched gag, he spewed up blood, forming another new puddle to join the rest of the damages. The android looked up, trembling violently.

"T-This…c-can't be!" Cell yelled. "I…I-I'm perfect!" Gohan just glared at him, eyes solid. In a new display of power, Gohan increased his energy even more, balling his fists and allowing his golden aura to spring up. It exploded into view, accompanied by bolts of electricity. The very force sent a galling wind across the ring. It struck Cell hard, as well as the realization of his defeat. The Z-fighters, though flabbergasted, were overjoyed that the android had finally met his match.

After showing Cell his new power, Gohan raised his left hand up, opening it out and stretching it towards the android. He aimed it at his target, sending energy into it, but only the necessary amount. His eyes flashed dangerously, making Cell stagger back in fear. He was still shaking out of control, and was now more scared then ever. Everyone watched in anticipation, waiting to see what'll happen. It was to be quick, that was for sure. And as soon as Gohan had gathered enough energy, a sparkling ball of blue energy formed in his hand, more electricity crackled around him. Furrowing his brow and narrowing his eyes more on his opponent, the young Saiyan spoke up.

"Your rain is at an end, Cell!" With that, a colossal blast was fired from Gohan's hand. The attack consumed Cell whole, lifting him off the ground and enveloping him in a fiery death. The android's scream rang out for miles on end as the blast sent his ashes into the wind. Within seconds his entire body was gone, and the once mighty android had been grounded…permanently. The blast continued to pulse for several seconds, lighting up the sky in a magnificent glow. And then, at the climax's end, the blast died, leaving in its wake a large, wide entrenchment of how far the attack had expanded and a thin mist of dust that settled on the scarred field and ring. From here, the Z-fighters could finally say that it was safe to say _it's over_.

When the dust cleared, Gohan was revealed, still standing in his Super Saiyan 2 form, his aura crackling around him. The Z-fighters and those of the audience standing in the background were shocked. With his hand still held out, the young Saiyan sighed in relief and lowered his arm. He decided at this point to remain in Super Saiyan 2, as there would be a lot of questions needing to be answered. But before he could turn around, he heard a joyful call go up as shouts of happiness and cheering began ringing out. He smiled and turned around, eyes settling on his friends. He could see Krillin, Yamcha and Tien raising fists and cheering, shouting about how Cell was defeated. Lime and Anya were holding hands and were leaping around in circles, singing about Gohan's undeniable victory. Erran was just cheering happily for her hero, as were Kasia and Jenny. Goku, Piccolo, Vegeta, Mirai and 18# were smiling at the young Saiyan, with Goku giving him the thumbs up. Everyone was overjoyed, and Gohan was happy. Now that it was finally over, he could get some rest at last. And so, he turned to the group and began walking over to them, back turned to the destruction he had left behind.

"Gohan!" Krillin shouted. "You did it, buddy! You did it!"

"We knew you could do it, Gohan!" Lime exclaimed.

Gohan just waved at them as he approached. Steve, Hercule and Bob in the background were still staring in shock, eyes bugging and mouths hanging over. All of them looked quite disheveled.

"It's no big guys…at least he's gone now…" the child replied.

16#, however, wasn't in the joyful mood. As he stared at Gohan, he suddenly picked up a faint signal behind him and glanced in the direction of the newly made entrenchment from the young Saiyan's blast. His sensors came on line, as they detected a growing power level rising from 1000 and moving up fast. It was then when he suddenly caught the distinct sign of a golden aura picking up just a few meters out from the ring. Everything started going wrong after that. The Z-fighters stopped cheering and gasped in surprise, gazing over Gohan's shoulder in shock. Gohan also stopped when he sensed the power surge and felt the rushing winds pass him. The warping aura behind him had expanded, hurling dust and debris into the air. Even Bob, Steve and Hercule spotted this unusual turn of events and began looking in that direction, Bob capturing it all with his camera. Gohan, sensing the familiar tinge in the ki, gasped, eyes widening and teeth gritting. All his friends were shocked as well. Slowly, the young Super Saiyan 2 turned around, glancing over his shoulder. He didn't want it to be true, and he didn't want to believe what he was sensing. But it was.

When his eyes settled on the very being projecting that ki, he gasped in shock. Rising out from the hurling dust cloud and into view, returning from his supposed grave was none other then Cell himself in his full-on, perfect form glory. The android grinned sinisterly upon setting his sights on his targets, his aura blowing away the dust and leaving him standing in a whole new form. Though he looked exactly the same as before, there were just some subtle changes made to him, and one big change. His aura was still gold, but it flared like Gohan's Super Saiyan 2 aura with currents of blue electricity running up and down his body. To add to this, his muscle span had increased slightly, making him look all the tougher. But what was even bigger was his ki! His energy level had taken a massive leap, much to everyone's shock. Gohan was the one who was in most shock. Trembling, he turned around, eyes still wide and mouth agape. Cell smirked at all their faces.

"_H-How is it possible…there is no way he could have survived…"_ Gohan thought.

The android standing before him chuckled. "Well…did you miss me?" Cell exclaimed, receiving only shocked stares and silence in response. As he continued to stare, he could also make out looks of puzzlement on all their faces, indicating one thing. Cell chuckled again and moved his left side forward slightly, raising his left hand and poking at his head with his index finger. More bolts of electricity shot out of him with that small movement. "As long as even a nucleus of my original form remains, I will continue to regenerate…and because of my Saiyan cells, I will come back stronger then ever before," the android stated, lowering his arm and returning to a proper standing position.

Gohan's shocked expression died and he returned to a serious glare, eyes flashing. _"So that's it…I didn't put enough energy into my attack…darn!"_

"That's impossible!" Mirai shouted. "Even after that last attack, you shouldn't be alive!"

Cell laughed, glaring at all of them, his eyes running over the whole area. "And yet…here I stand. So what I said did happen, and in record time too," he exclaimed, looking at his hands and fisting them. His aura increased with ferocity. The android then glared back up at them. "So…where was I? Ah yes…" Cell said, lowering his fists to his sides. "…the Cell Games. I'm still alive, and so the fight continues. And the one I would fully like to test my new powers on is you, Son Gohan! Well…are you up to the challenge, boy?"

Gohan gritted his teeth, his anger soaring with his power. Balling his fists and taking a horse riding stance, the young Saiyan let out an enraged roar and powered up to maximum, his aura exploding around him with a tremendous shockwave. The Z-fighters gasped and stepped back in shock, staring at Gohan bewildered. They began making comparisons between him and Cell, but it was so hard to tell who had the advantage because they were both sitting on such high power levels. They mixed in the air, making it hard to judge them individually. Gohan was still sitting on a high level, and when he was done, he stood up to full height and glared at the android. Running eyes up and down the young Saiyan, he looked pretty cool standing in his full powered up state. Cell raised an eyebrow at him in curiosity.

"I'm sorry Cell, but I cannot allow you to live beyond today!" the young Saiyan stated. Cell, hearing this, grinned and raised both his hands towards the child, left on top of his right as he remained in that stance of his. His eyes flickered with malice and a whole new resolve, one that sent chills down everybody's spines.

"I can assure you, this time you will not survive," Cell exclaimed, eyes flashing.

Now it was on…

With the two of them standing in their set fighting stances, they both glared at one another, lightning crackling around them and striking areas meters away from either of them. Eyes flickered and flashed under the shine of auras and their power levels soared. Bob was still filming, while Steve and Hercule just stared in shock. The rest of the Z-fighters also remained silent, unable to believe what was happening right before their very eyes. Cell was back and ready for round two, and Gohan was still standing tall. If they knew any better, the real fight was about to begin. Soon enough…it did.

The two of them shot off into super speed right then and then, shockwaves occurring from take off as they took to the skies. A split second later, 100's of stories above the ground, shockwaves and sonic booms began bursting out across the skies, exploding with incredible ferocity. These one's, though so high above the ground, were so big that they created hurricane like gales of force winds far below, and nearly knocked the audience off their feet. The ground cracked, and things began to crumble under the might of the two super powered warriors. The world practically fell to its knees as they battled it all out before the eyes of the Z-fighters and the world. The final fight was to prove catastrophic. Lightning could be seen flashing with every shock wave that rang out, holes being punched into clouds which were ripped from their places by raging winds and two fighters that would not give up. It was an incredible sight. The explosions of energy and impacting fists went off like a series of simultaneously lit fireworks, only these were invisibles waves of force that shook the skies and planet. The ripples of energy tore away at the ground, beginning to punch craters, marking the path of the two warriors.

Nobody could see either Cell or Gohan; the two were so fast now. If they thought their battle before when Gohan was Super Saiyan was great, you wouldn't believe the fight going out now. The two of them would mostly maintain their super speed states, flashing through the air at attacking each other. Whenever either was charging at their opponent, they didn't slow down, so you couldn't see the blurs of both fighters as they came at the other. They would just flash into focus for a split second, locked in an intense battle with flying fists and kicks before they both vanished into super speed again. They appeared in all places, too fast to track. They swooped along the ground as well, still engaged in a furious brawl. You could tell where they were going by the trail of shockwaves they were leaving, and bolts of electricity that shot out with every engagement. The Z-fighters looked in all directions, left and right, up and down, trying to spot the two fighters. But all they caught onto was just the shockwave, but no form of the pair. Things were really starting to get intense.

The fight had carried itself beyond the ring, although it did remain with major damages inflicted upon it. Now all attention of the two fighters had turned to the wastelands surrounding the arena, which would serve as their battleground now. With the confines of the ring too small to have the fight they were having now, the arena was left forgotten. Now the Cell Games had dropped all rules, and they were free to kill each other. Cell's once cool mood had turned into blind fury, and Gohan's full submission to this battle changed him completely from his wise, kind and naive ways. He was setting himself upon his opponent without mercy. The two of them continued fighting, not letting up for even a second. They reappeared high above the ground, throwing punishing blows and attacks at one another, all of their attacks landing, mostly hitting well brought up parries and blocks. However, as they fought on, both of them received equal damage. Standing at the same level, this fight could tip either way. They once again vanished into super speed, still locked in close quarter combat. If there was any better time to release some tension or pent up rage, now was the time. But they didn't let it take them over.

Appearing many stories above the Cell Games, Cell flew straight ahead in a full on charge. With a yell, he threw his right fist out at the air. Suddenly, Gohan appeared in place of the air and leapt up higher, blocking the punch by raising his left knee. A shockwave sounded on impact, shaking the ground beneath them with electricity shooting out of both of their forms. Then pushing Cell's fist away with his leg, Gohan threw a left roundhouse kick across Cell's face, knocking him back. As he fell back, the android pulled himself into a back flip. At the same time, he threw a his right foot right up into Gohan's chin, knocking him flying back. After flipping into an upright position, Cell powered up with a zap of electricity and charged at his opponent, disappearing into super speed. Gohan's flight was to be short but quite far. As he flew along, he curled into a ball and began spinning at a fast rate to slow his flight. He opened himself up, halting himself with his energy. Looking up, he saw Cell charging at him through super speed and took his signature fighting stance. When Cell came at him with a left punch, appearing out of thin air, Gohan ducked down low and came up with a left punch to Cell's chest, winding him. He then moved around quickly, sending a right hook into his side. But Cell disappeared into super speed before he could even hit him a second time. Gohan disappeared into super speed as well when Cell suddenly appeared out of thin air with a left roundhouse kick aimed for the back of his head. When he saw Gohan's after image disappear, the android began looking around him with frustration, the child too quick for him to even see. He was suddenly struck in the back by Gohan coming down at him from behind, driving his right foot into his back. The blow created a shock wave and sent Cell plummeting fast, spiraling out of control. Just as he was about to hit the ground, he spun around and through the air, halting himself using his energy and glaring up where Gohan floated. With a burst of energy and a gust of wind that sent dust below hurling into the air, the android took off into the sky, flashing into super speed. He reached Gohan a split second later, appearing in front of him and driving a left hook into his face. He then came in with a right elbow, striking him hard and winding him. Gohan reeled over in shock, eyes wide. Cell then came in with a left knee, staggering him more before driving his right elbow into the child's back, yelling with the force he applied into those blows. The young Saiyan was sent falling at an incredible rate. Spinning out of control, he crashed into the earth far below.

Cell didn't stop his assault there. Throwing his hands back he began throwing them forward, unleashing an energy rain of golden ki blasts. The rain of attacks bombarded the lands far below, repeatedly striking the area Gohan had crashed. Ball of fire exploded into the air with every attack that landed, dust, rubble and debris flying everywhere. It was like a shower of meteors was coming into the planet. All view of the damages made was blocked out by the cloud of dust rising. But whatever the case, Cell continued driving more and more power into his assault, throwing his attacks while yelling at the top of his lungs. But then, when it seemed his energy rain had worked, a familiar figure came into view. Bursting out of the cloud of smoke as the rain of energy blasts continued falling, Gohan shot straight up into the sky, teeth gritted and looking a bit more battered than usual. Flying through the shower of energy attacks, Gohan let out a yell and threw both his hands forward, cupping his palms together. With a burst of energy, he began firing off a barrage of blue ki blasts, these ones soaring at Cell and passing by his energy rain. Cell ceased his assault immediately, but was struck down by hundreds of ki blasts fired off by the young Saiyan. A magnificent explosion occurred when the wave of energy attacks ended, leaving a cloud of smoke floating high above. But it wasn't over yet. As soon as Gohan had stopped attacking, a purple ki blast shot out of the cloud, sending it away and revealing a still-in-the-game Cell with both his hands thrown forward and firing off Vegeta's _Gallic Gun_ with a yell. Gohan saw it coming for him and quickly acted. He reached back, grabbed his sword which instantaneously transformed into his Angel's Blade when it was unsheathed, and gripped it in both hands. He struck out at the power energy attack, the purple blast of energy sucking into his sword which crackled with high voltages of blue lightning. Then, with a loud yell, Gohan flew threw the air and spun around, throwing the tip of his blade forward and at his opponent. At that, a bellowing explosion of energy occurred as the same purple blast was sent flying back at its owner. Cell growled, moving out of the way as the blast came ripping past him and skyward. It disappeared into space seconds later.

As Cell was moving away, eyes turned skyward, Gohan suddenly appeared behind him, sword sheathed and in attack mode. The android sensed his opponent behind him, and began turning around to face him. While he did, Gohan flew at him fast and with a yell, sent as powerful right hook across his opponent's face, the blow sending blood flying from Cell's mouth with a shock wave to follow. Cell was sent back because of this, flipping over and over again as he spiraled out of control. When he finally returned to an upright position, he powered up and flew at Gohan at super speed. The young Saiyan did so in kind, and the two of them collided with one another, elbow striking elbow. Another massive shock wave occurred, with a bolt of blue lightning shooting down to earth and striking a mountain beneath them, turning it into rubble when it struck. The Z-fighters yelled in shock when they saw this and were caught completely by surprise at the force displayed. The two of them flashed out of focus again, super speeding into another fight. Shockwave after shockwave occurred, these blows being double in power as they were driven by strength and momentum combined. The two fighters played cat and mouse through the air, constantly pursuing each other and attacking with incredible force. Every time their attacks impacted with every charge, bolts of artificial lightning shot down from between them and struck the ground, their attacks producing an immense amount of energy. Their fight dragged on for a while, more shockwaves occurring and their speed increasing. This indicated that the two of them were back to full on flurries of punches and kicks. Moments later, their fight dragged down towards the deserts again, the Z-fighters moving away from the ring to see if they could catch the fight in the distance. They looked onto the horizon, seeing the chain of energy shockwaves reach the ground, and the two of them reappear kicking away from each other.

The two fighters skidded across the battle torn earth, sliding to a stop and standing 50 meters away from each other. They were both still dropped in attack stances, and were glaring at each other with battered, bloodied and bruised bodies. As soon as they were on the ground, Cell pushed off and leapt at Gohan, disappearing into super speed as he charged. Gohan leapt back, also disappearing into super speed with his opponent in hot pursuit. From here, the two of them began fighting on the group, jumping from area to area with Cell on the attack. Gohan countered his every blow, the two of them flashing in and out of focus every time they were attacking and then moving into constant retreat or assault. Shockwaves occurred with every flurry they engaged for only two seconds before disappearing again. Dust and debris was sent hurling into the air everywhere they went, both their yells heard echoing on for some distance with their fight. You could see in the distance the two of them fighting it all out. The Z-fighters watched the occurring shockwaves and the bursts of dust and debris fly into the air. The ground looked as though it was being torn apart by raging tornadoes. Only these weren't tornadoes. The two warriors only focused on their fight, and nothing else. The ground they walked upon was their battleground, a point on which they could use to fight.

Gohan charged at Cell, throwing a punch out at him. The image of Cell disappeared into thin air, forcing Gohan to turn around and raise his right hand. With a quick power up and a yell, the young Saiyan fired a barrage of ten golden ki blasts in one shot. The energy attacks curved through the air in every direction before flying back at a certain point, exploding into a ball of fire and sending a cloud of dust with rubble flying into the air. Cell reappeared above it in jump motion. When he did, he flew forward, right hand held back. He let out a loud yell and threw his right hand forward, index and middle finger extended. When he did, he fired a narrow orange beam with another white beam spiraling around it at his opponent standing some ways away. The stolen _Special Beam Cannon _shot through the air, heading for the young Saiyan. Gohan backslapped it away with his left hand, the attack practically shattering when struck. After that, with a quick power up, resulting in a flash of electrical currents sizzling around his body, Gohan took off at Cell, engaging him in another fierce fist fight. Cell threw a left hook at him, only for Gohan to duck around it and drive a left body shot as he moved around him. Cell got hit and tried back-hammering him, swiping at him outwards with a left. Gohan ducked that easily and threw a right punch across his face, to which Cell responded with a right punch of his own, a left punch, a right hook and a left uppercut. Gohan avoided all those punches easily before counter attacking with a left knee and a right kick across his face. Cell growled and threw a left roundhouse kick aimed for the child's head. Gohan was too fast and maneuvered around it, ending up left side kicking Cell in the back of his head and sending him plummeting, spiraling out of control. Seeing him falling, Gohan used his downward time to attack. Bringing his right hand back, Gohan let out a yell and threw his hand forward, firing off a powerful yellow ki blast that consumed the entire ground bellow him, which lit up into a massive fire ball. The shockwave went out, cracking the ground and forming a massive crater. When the explosion died, it left its mark and a cloud of dust.

Having received a lot of damage from that attack, Cell shot out of the cloud of dust and charged at his opponent at full power aura flaring with electricity shooting out of him. He flew up above Gohan and came down at him with a powered up right punch, sending it across Gohan's face. The young Saiyan was knocked back, but was merely bruised. Recovering, he retaliated by sending a right punch straight into Cell's face, bruising him and staggering him. Gohan's didn't even have his aura up when he attacked with that, but his opponent did. That was easily solved when Gohan punched him, the aura around Cell disappearing. The android attacked back quickly. After staggering back, he sent a right roundhouse kick at Gohan who blocked it, but was knocked back by the force. He slowed himself, dropping into a defensive stance. Cell yelled in anger, leaping back before bringing both his hands forward, beginning to fire off a barrage of golden ki blasts at his opponent. Gohan acted quickly, using super speed to avoid the attacks. Flashing in and out of focus, he managed to avoid all the attacks coming at him, his opponent flying back to avoid getting attacked while still sending attacks his way. Finding that he wouldn't be able to make his move under this hail storm, Gohan moved instinctively, avoiding one last attack before using his teleportation technique to appear directly in front of Cell. With the android's left hand raised towards him and his right hand raised in kind, both of them fired off a powerful ki blast, both attacks exploding at close range and consuming them in a ball of fire. The Z-fighters gawked at the atomic explosion that had taken place, the winds nearly tossing them into the air. The force was incredible.

When the explosion died down, Cell made his appearance. Flying out of the smoke cloud, he landed on the ground and wheeled around, burnt from the fire ball he was consumed in. He glared angrily up at the cloud of smoke, tracking his opponent. Suddenly, Gohan flew out of the cloud, soaring above him with his right fist held back. Blue beams of light shot out of the spaces in his fingers, his energy level rising to produce this attack. When the necessary amount was finally gathered, Gohan threw his attack forward, his palm opening and the energy ball inside shattering into blue energy shards that flew straight down at Cell at an amazingly fast rate. The android gasped as he watched them approach and cross his arms over his face. The shards landed on him and all around him, igniting into a series of powerful explosions that turned into balls of raging fires. The flames leapt high into the air, filling the sky with ask and a image of a burning hell. Gohan had managed to pull away from its blast radius as it struck home on its target. But sensing Cell's ki still flickering strongly, the young Saiyan tightened his glare and flashed into super speed, flying into the fire.

Cell appeared bursting out of the fire, landing on both his hands and back-flipping away from the burning hell he was thrown into. When he escaped from it, he landed a safe distance away and took a fighting stance, looking frantically around for his opponent. He was badly bruised, brunt and beaten now, electricity still crackling around him. As soon as he was dropped in a stance, Gohan came hurling out of the fire, charging at full speed at his opponent. Cell gasped and dropped into a stance, holding up his hands to defend himself. Gohan came in with his soaring dragon strike, knocking away Cell's defense with a guard breaking elbow. He then attacked with wild fury, sending a left punch, right hook, left uppercut, right uppercut, left elbow, right palm strike and then a left elbow. He then finished it up with swift, powered up kicks. A left roundhouse kick, followed up by a right backwards roundhouse kick and a final left roundhouse kick across Cell's face. It staggered him, the android fumbling back, winded. Gohan honed in on his attack, flying at the android in another charge. Cell, having recovered, threw a right hook at his opponent, but Gohan managed to slide it and jump over his opponent, striking Cell's underarm and kicking at his left leg where it joined the hip. With those two quick strikes, the young Saiyan flipped over his opponent and flew back, landing behind the android who had fallen to his left knee.

Panting heavily, Cell got up and turned around, staggering. His right arm fell limp at his side and his left leg wobbled. His two limbs felt numb, barely able to move his left leg whilst his right arm had completely lost all feeling. The android looked down at himself for a moment, and when he found that he couldn't move his limbs, growled and glared up at his opponent. Gohan was still glaring at the android, eyes flashing. The Z-fighters could clearly see and hear what was happening, since they weren't too far away now.

"W-What did you do to me?" the android yelled. Gohan dipped his head a little, eyes overshadowing.

"Kyoshu-jitsu," he replied. ": the fighting style involving the striking of pressure and/or vital points of a fighter's body. Those blows could have permanently left your limbs useless, with their nerve connections severed. However, because you're tough and those strikes were mere basic attacks, it's left your leg limp. But your arm is permanently damaged, so you won't ever be able to move it," the young Saiyan replied. Cell glowered at him, gritting his teeth and growling angrily. He balled his left fist before reaching over and grabbing his right arm.

"I'm not beat yet! You don't know me as much as I know you!" he yelled. With a roar of pain, the android gripped his right arm tightly and ripped it clean off, blood splattering everywhere. The Z-fighters were sickened by this, with Erran, Lime and Anya shutting their eyes tightly, letting out squeals of shock. As soon as his arm was ripped cleanly away, Cell immediately went onto concentrating, using the ability the Piccolo cell's in him possessed. With another loud yell of pain, a new arm shot out of the open socket in his right side, a new arm taking its place. As soon as it was out, he moved it around, stretching it out momentarily before taking a fighting stance. He glared furiously at Gohan, who still stood some ways away.

"You're dead! I can make sure of that!" he shouted. Then, with a yell, he raised his right fist ready to attack. But before he could, Gohan charged at him so fast that nobody even saw him move. In quick attack, the young Saiyan drove his right elbow into the android's gut, making him reel over, winded. Cell's eyes widened and he coughed up blood, his internal organs ruptured. With choking, gagging sound, the android backed away as Gohan removed his elbow, glaring up at the android with a solid stare.

When Cell backed away far enough so that they stood 10 meters apart, he glared up, hands clutching the new imprint in his stomach. His eyes were wide, and purple blood leaked out of the corners of his mouth, joining his other outer damages. When he glared up, he looked horrified.

"I-Impossible," the android chocked out, shaking from head to toe. "H-How is it t-that you're still stronger then I am?! I-It doesn't make any sense! I-I'm perfect!!!"

Gohan hardened his glare on him. "You can't beat me Cell, because you're not perfect. Like I said…_that_ has been decided many years ago. There can only be one pure enough to achieve that title…one who would use it for good and not evil…"

Cell continued to stare at him, taking in his words. But then, as the realization dawned on him, the android let out a yell and backed away even more, staggered. "I-It can't be! Y-You're…" Gohan nodded, making Cell's eyes widen in horror and he backed away even more. But then, he took another determined stance and glared angrily at his opponent. He swiped his hand out in defiance. "No! I will not let any power be stronger then mine! I'll kill you, even if it means not attacking you!!!"

The young Saiyan raised an eyebrow at this, surprised by those words. "What do you mean?" Cell grinned, his eyes flashing sinisterly.

"I know exactly how to beat you, child!" the android stated. "And believe me, it'll be all worth while!!!" Cell then glanced to his right and quickly back the his opponent. Gohan caught this and quickly glanced to his left. He then found to his shock what Cell meant. He gritted his teeth and glared back at his opponent.

"No way!" Gohan yelled. "I won't let you hurt my friends!!!" Cell laughed.

"Then just try and stop me!" the android yelled, powering up and disappearing into super speed.

Gohan did so in kind and pursued quickly. The Z-fighters were struck with horror when they saw that Cell was heading straight towards them. However, just as the android was closing in on his approach, Gohan shot past him, appearing in the path of the green warrior in a blink of an eye. Cell immediately stopped at the sight of Gohan, seeing the young Saiyan glaring at him angrily with that serious expression. The child's eyes burned with fury under the glow of his aura and lightning bio-field. The android backed down upon seeing him, but then when he realized his friends were right behind the Super Saiyan 2 warrior, he grinned. This was exactly where he wanted to be. He dropped into a stance, right hand drawing back.

"You're a fool boy! Now I'm going to break your heart!" the android yelled, a pink ball of energy forming at the tip of his finger as his aura increased with ferocity. Gohan cursed, realizing he was too close. He then gasped and looked behind him quickly, spotting Lime, Erran and Anya in the arms of their parents and under the protection of Goku. When they saw Cell coming, they knew they were a threat, and so did the Son father. So he gathered them up in hopes of protecting them. However, that meant that they were clear targets for Cell now. Gohan looked back, seeing Cell's attack begin to take effect.

The android laughed out loud. "YOU'RE FINISHED!" he roared, throwing his hand forward and launching the power, narrow beam of energy at Lime's group. The beam passed Gohan, who dropped into a ready stance. Everything happened so quickly. The Z-fighters gasped in shock, moving out and away from the occurring attack Cell launched right into their midst. The cameras captured it all. Lime, Erran, Anya and Goku all yelled, backing away as the beam of energy shot straight towards them. Everyone watched out of the corner of their eyes, when suddenly, Gohan leapt in front of them beam. The purple attack struck him right in the left side of his chest, punching straight through and shooting out his back. Using whatever energy he mustered up in those seconds before impact, the beam changed direction, missing its supposed targets and hitting a mountain miles away. It was here the beam pulsed through him, destroying his heart.

The Z-fighters yelled in shock, eyes widening and mouths flying open. Even Cell was shocked at what had happened. Seconds later, as the beam faltered, everything flashed to normal. Everyone stood in their places, staring at Gohan in bewilderment at what he had done. The child had saved Lime and his friends, but at a cost. The young Saiyan staggered for a moment, blood spilling out of the hole in his back and chest. Suddenly, he spewed up blood, which formed a puddle on the ground and splattered marks on his top. When he looked up, you could see blood leaking out of the corners of his lips and out of his mouth, along with blood from his wound. Reaching up with his left hand, he gripped his chest, trembling violently as he glared up at his opponent. It was amazing he was still alive and in Super Saiyan 2. Everyone was shocked beyond belief.

"GOHAN!" Goku cried.

"NO!" Lime, Erran and Anya screamed as well, getting up to rush over to him, but the mother's held them back. Everyone else however approached, with Cell still standing before them, lowering his arm. The entire Z-group walked over to Gohan to help him as he staggered to a proper standing position, still clutching his chest. However, as Krillin, Piccolo, Mirai and Vegeta tried to help him, Gohan pushed them away and walked forward, grinning with his right eye half-lidded.

"I'm f-fine guys," he choked out. "T-This o-o-one wasn't even close…" the young Saiyan mused, even though the pain was excruciating. He was in agony. Cell backed away, amazed he was still alive. But when he saw his weakened state and that his ki had dropped dramatically, the android let out a howling laugh and grinned, beginning to float off of the ground.

"Well, well, well…look at the perfect warrior now!" the android exclaimed as he glared down at them, watching the whole Z-gang glare up at him. "It seems that this fight has tipped in my favor. As I have seen…my victory is assured. So as my prize, the universe shall be mine!" he yelled so that everybody could hear him. The Z-fighters backed away in anticipation to what he was going to do next. Cell glared down at them all, eyes flashing. "And as a start, I'm going to completely annihilate this planet, and turn everyone on it into dust!"

Raising his right hand above his head, Cell suddenly produced a new attack. An orange, crackling ball appeared and expanded, growing to an incredible size. As it did, the Z-fighters all gaped in shock, seeing the sun itself take its place right above their heads in the hands of a monster. The wielder of this artificial sun laughed loudly as his attack grew and grew, lighting up the entire area with its orange and yellow glow. It illuminated the skies, filling it with its raw power. Everyone could not believe what they were seeing: those who were watching from their television screens and those who were on the battlefield right now. Then, as Cell's attack reached maximum power and was hovering over their heads like the full-powered spirit bomb itself, everyone suddenly realized that this was it. The world was at an end.

Gohan hardened his glare, still clutching his chest and panting heavily. Cell's laugh filled his ears, and as a result, angered him more. The android glared down at them one last time, teeth bared and grinning wildly. He looked as mad as ever. "NOW YOU DIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" Cell yelled, throwing his hand forward and sending his attack straight down at the planet. Everyone gasped, feeling the rushing winds of the attack suddenly hit them full force, throwing dust and debris into the air. Goku's place was taken over by Android's 16# and 18#, who held down Lime and Gohan's other friends. Gohan himself stood at the front of the group, watching the attack come at them. When he was able to get the full brunt of the spearhead of the attack, added up by backward force, the young Saiyan threw his right hand back and took a firm stance. Everyone looked at him in surprise.

"Guys, stay back! I'll protect you!" Gohan shouted. Everyone did what they were told, and looked back up at the incoming death ball. But it wasn't a death ball. It was Cooler's destroyer of worlds attack: the _Super Nova_. They could only watch with fear and horror as the star of a energy ball came down upon them. Steve, Bob and Hercule, who were standing not too far from the action, were staring in shock as well. Bob caught it all on the camera, and nearly lost his footing when the earth started to shake.

"_**L-L-Ladies and gentlemen! Hold on to your heads. There's no use trying to get away from Cell folks, he's back and renewing his assault on earth with a final attack. It looks as though the sun itself is careering straight towards us! Oh the humanity!"**_ Steve shouted into his microphone. As he did, Hercule ducked and took cover behind a boulder, looking fearfully out over the fields and shaking from head to toe.

"It's a trick…it's all just a trick! Yup…just a trick!"

Back to the playing field, you could see the Z-fighters back off a bit more as the _Super_ _Nova_ attack continued plummeting towards them. With Cell backing it up from behind and applying his forces of energy into it, he watched as it flew straight down to the planet. The earth began to rip as the force winds batted down onto the battlefield, blowing fiercely at the Z-team. However, instead of standing around and doing nothing, Gohan pulled back his right hand and powered up his final, signature attack, one he was going to use to put an end to all of this. A blue orb of energy formed in his palm, lighting up the area around him and catching everyone's attention. This attack would prove to be the last and most powerful attack Gohan would ever launch in his remaining time here. He gritted his teeth, aura springing up around him fiercely.

"DAAAAAAAaaaaaiiiiii…SEEEEEEeeeeeennnn…KOOOOOOoooooooo…!!!!!!!" he chanted, his words echoing around him like the winds that enveloped them. The Z-fighters watched, anticipating the next move. It was sure to be big, just as big as the attack coming right at them. The attack was so close that it practically filled the entire sky with its light. It was time. With a final power up, Gohan drove his hand back and threw it forward with all his might. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!" In a explosion of tremendous power, he unleashed his attack. A massive blue blast shot out of his palm and straight up at Cell's incoming attack. It struck the orange energy ball's surface and dug deep into it, forcing it back. But with the equalized force coming back down from Cell's end, the two attacks stopped. And from here, it would continue as a tug-of-war of power. This was the final show down between super powers.

Gohan growled and gritted his teeth as he continuously poured energy into his attack, which drove on and on, attempting to push Cell's attack back. The blast was thick and strong, holding its own against the equally powerful _Super Nova _attack that Cell was throwing at them. Both his hands were held forward, and the android was grinning wildly. Although he was putting his own effort into his attack, he was still laughing out loud, enjoying himself. Gohan growled, forcing more energy into his attack. His entire golden aura was being blown back by the winds coming down at them, the Z-fighters behind him. Everyone held there ground, watching the wrestling match continue. Like before, the ground began to crack and shake violently, trembling from the very forces coming down on them. Mountains in the distance collapsed, and the winds extended their reach across the planet, disrupting the natural order of the planet. Clouds formed around the battlefield, reacting to the colliding powers. Everything was falling apart!

Bulma and her family, who were watching at home, were spurring Gohan on. They encouraged him from their seats, with the blue haired scientist getting closer and shaking the TV, shouting for him to keep going. She could feel the earth trembling too, even at this distance. Master Roshi, who was at Kame House, was watching intently, hoping for Gohan to win. If they believed, they could win, and that's a fact. Chi-Chi was hoping the best as well. As she screamed at her television screen at home with her father, she spoke to Gohan, whom she saw on the screen battling for life and protecting his friends and family. It was through these moments she felt proud for her son, prouder then she had ever been in her life. She knew he could do it if he set his mind to it.

"YOU CAN DO IT GOHAN!" the Son mother shouted.

On the field, things were looking bad. Gohan's limbs trembled under the force, and he was in agony. Still clutching his chest with his left hand, the young Saiyan bit and held his position. His outpour of energy was taking its toll on his life. He was dwindling close to giving up. But with his friends and family to protect, all his loved ones lives resting on the table of this poker game of life itself, he knew he couldn't give up. Besides, it was just the beginning. He was no going to let them down. So, he bucked up, pushing himself on and on. At this point, he was certain her could win. His friends encouraged him, their words reaching his ears.

"Come on, Gohan! You can do it!" Trunks shouted.

"Make us proud boy! Show him what a true Saiyan can do!" Vegeta yelled.

"Don't give up, Gohan!" Lime cried, the same words flowing from Erran and Anya's lips. 18# looked up, gazing through the raging winds passing them by and whipping at their bodies.

"Yeah! You can do it, Gohan!" she yelled.

Above all the Z-fighters who cheered, Piccolo hoped the most. He held his ground, watching as Gohan fought on and on. From here, the Namekian could see how much the child wanted to protect them, and fight for them. Looking back on his memories with his former student, he could see how much the young Saiyan had progressed and changed. Piccolo also saw how much love and connection he showed towards the people he knew and cared for, and what he did for them. That was a sign. He knew Gohan would never win. But what would be backing him up? Determination? Spirit? Strength?

"Gohan…" Piccolo whispered.

Gohan growled, gritting his teeth as he pumped more energy out. The winds whipped at him, and the ground began to weaken. Or was that him? Whatever the case, he didn't let up, not even for a second. His concentration was firmly fixed on this moment, and nothing else. Yes he did think about his friends and what would happen, but he didn't let it get to him. In order for him to do this best, he had to focus on the moment. He wiped away all other thoughts, and pressed on. Cell, who was none the less enjoying the smell of victory, let out a loud laugh. Everyone heard him, even above the raging winds and sounds of their grappling attacks. He was enjoying seeing Gohan struggle.

"This must be hard for you with all those wounds!" the android yelled, bringing up more energy and concentrating it. "I'm sure this makes them BUUUUUUUURRRRRRRNNNNN!!!!" he roared, his voice echoing as he pushed an invisible force of energy used to drive his attack into the _Super Nova_ energy ball. It was with that sudden burst of energy did his aura spring up around him, crackling with blue electricity, and at the same time the size of his attack increased. The orb of energy grew bigger, its forward momentum tripling in strength. Gohan found himself pressed under foot as the enemy attack drove forward, pushing his energy beam shorter. The spear end of his _Daisenko Ha_ blast was battling hard, with its wielder trying his best to stay conscious and keep Cell's attack back. The android laughed, watching Gohan through his attack wither under its strength. "And now this…is WHERE YOU EEEEENNNDDDDD!!!!" he yelled again, pushing it forward even more.

The winds that whipped around the Z-fighters increased in ferocity, nearly knocking some of them off their feet. This increase also fell on Gohan, whose legs nearly buckled from the very force. However, with his determination to protect his friends still going on strong, he pushed himself up and delivered more energy into his blast. The pulsing beam kept the attack back, his friends watching him struggle under the pressure. Krillin growled and held up his fist.

"No! He's losing it!" The monk shouted.

"Gohan is being overtaken!" Tien also yelled.

Piccolo, after hearing these words and seeing Gohan keep up his brilliant efforts of fighting, had finally had enough of this. Throwing off his turban and cape, the Namekian fisted his hands and crouched, powering up and gritting his teeth. "I'M COMING GOHAN!!!" he shouted. With that, he took flight, taking off passed his former student and heading around Cell's giant _Super Nova_ attack. All the Z-fighters were astounded. Goku ran forward in shock, yelling.

"No wait! PICCOLO!!!" the Saiyan shouted, his voice echoing after his friend. But the Namekian ignored it and flew on. This left the Z-fighters contemplating whether they should fly on and help, but they remained back. They wanted to see what Piccolo would do.

Piccolo flew on, forcing himself past the winds and around the pulsating death ball. The attack was glowing orange hot. If he got too close, he would suffer severe burns. But that wasn't what he intended to do. He intended to save Gohan from a cruel fate. So flying around the attack, he spotted Cell floating behind it, back turned and concentration set fully on pushing his energy ball into the planet. This was his chance. Flying down, the Namekian raised both his hands back and growled. "MAAAAKOOOOOSEEEEEENNNN HAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" he roared, throwing both his hands forward and firing off a golden ki blast. The attack shot through the air and struck Cell full on in the back without any opposing forces. The attack exploded, but when the light died, it was revealed it had done nothing but attract the android's attention. Cell looked over his shoulder up at his attacker, a grin on his face.

Piccolo was shocked that his attack had done nothing, and remained suspended, hands still held forward. Suddenly, as the Namekian warrior remained hovering in mid-air, the android's wings opened up, and suddenly, the golden aura surrounding Cell expanded and shot at Piccolo like a ki blast. The very force of the android's aura was astounding, and when it struck its target, it knocked the Namekian back, shocking him. Golden electricity crackled around the stunned warrior, Piccolo flying and plummeting from the skies, crying in agony. Cell laughed, whereas the Z-fighters were astounded. Goku blinked.

"No! Piccolo!"

Gohan had seen what had happened, and when he did, his anger and worries grew. "Piccolo…my friend…" he whispered. Suddenly, after seeing his friend struck down, the Saiyan child quickly grew angrier, his ki level rising. In his once trembling form, struggling to protect this planet from total destruction and his loved ones, his energy level increased. With the spur of the moment, the child let out a yell and the outpour of energy he applied to his attack increased fifteen fold. His blast grew larger, forcing Cell's attack back. It was this show of force was Cell so astounded. He gritted his teeth and tried to force Gohan's attack back, but found that the strength of his attack had increased beyond his own point of handling. All the while, Gohan put more and more effort into continuing his attack, his blast pushing the _Super Nova_ back at its owner. But then, Cell let out a laugh, his eyes flashing.

"You fool! Don't you realize yet you're up against the perfect weapon!" Cell shouted. Suddenly, there was a massive shockwave as the android punched more energy into his planet destroying attack. It pressed down at Gohan's attack, growing even more in diameter. The force of the winds and the amount of energy in it also increased. Gohan was soon back where he started, shocking the Z-fighters. The young Saiyan struggled again, trying to keep his footing as he fought against Cell's energy ball.

Goku spun around to his friends, his determination at a new rise. "Come on, lets go help!!!!" the Saiyan shouted. Krillin, Tien, Yamcha and Trunks agreed, powering up and taking flight. They shot into the air, following the same route their Namekian friend had taken. This left Vegeta, Android 16#, 18# and those of the audience behind. The androids were busy watching over the children and mothers, whilst Vegeta was frozen with his doubts of being able to help Gohan. He held himself back, glaring up nervously at the death ball heading towards them, and the Z-fighters making their way around to attack Cell.

Meanwhile, Piccolo, who had crashed moments ago, forming an imprint of himself in the ground, was pushing himself to his feet. Regaining his senses, the Namekian glared up, seeing his student before him still fighting to hold off Cell's attack. Trembling, and in pain from being rubbed off by the android, Piccolo growled through gritted teeth and got onto his knees, eyes wavering. "No Gohan…I won't let you die all alone out there! Cause kid…you're the first person to ever show me what…it means to have a friend…" Piccolo said, smiling happily. "And I'll never leave you hanging alone kid…"

It was with those words, the Namekian got to his feet, holding his right hand up with his index and middle finger pointed out. It crackled with electricity, energy concentrating heavily into this next attack. At the same time, he floated up into the sky, waiting for the necessary amount of energy to form. Meanwhile, Cell continued to lay down heavily on Gohan. Both warriors continued to hold their own, not giving up for a second. All the while, the earth began to crumble beneath their mind, crackling more and more with rubble and debris beginning to lift into the air. If that weren't enough, the shaking of the planet grew worse and the force winds from this scene ripped through the surrounding lands. It was catastrophic. Gohan tried to hold this back, but was unable too. The pressure was still too much for him to handle. Cell laughed in amusement, eyes narrowing.

"These are your last minutes boy! So try to make them count…huh?!" he suddenly got cut off and glanced behind him. There, he saw Piccolo, Goku, Krillin, Yamcha, Mirai Trunks and Krillin appear. All these fighters were at their maximum powers, including Goku and Mirai who were Super Saiyan now. Pulling their hands back, the line of warriors prepared to attack. Cell was astounded. They had managed to get behind him and form up. This was sure going to put pressure on him if he didn't do something. Goku looked around at his friends, all their aura flaring.

"Alright guys! Let's do this!" he shouted. "KAAAAAaaaa…MEEEEEeeeee…HAAAAAaaaa…MEEEEEEeeeee…"

Krillin and Yamcha did the same. They drew their hands back and prepared their own blasts, orbs of blue energy forming. "KAAAAaaa…MEEEEeeee…HAAAAaaaaa…MEEEEeeee…!!!"

Piccolo had his fingers held up, golden energy crackling around the tips. His expression was one of stress and anger, as he focused on his goal. "SPECIAL BEAM CANNON…!!!!!"

Tien, next in line, formed a diamond shape with his hands, holding his hands up fingers first. His eyes flared, and his teeth gritted. "TRRRRIIIIIIIIIII-BEEEEAAAAAAAAAMMMMM!!!!"

Then there was Mirai. The time traveling warrior, field on to protect the planet and help his master in this time, threw his hands up to his forehead. In honor of Gohan, he would gladly use this attack for nothing more than this. "MAAAAAAaaaa…SEEEEeeeeennn…KOOOOoooo…"

Then, all at once, the entire group behind Cell threw their hands forward and unleashed their attacks all at once. With a power not seen for ages, the warriors of earth united and brought their full strength upon the mighty Cell. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" A burst of magnificent energy occurred, as all the blasts were fired and sent hurling at Cell. At the same time, the attacks struck their target and buried in deeply. They pushed Cell forward, yelling loudly as they dug in and in, driving everything they had into it. Gohan, who was watching from below was worried, with good reason. After a moment or so, the Z-warriors who were attacking Cell from behind, realized to their shock that their attacks weren't working.

"What!" Goku shouted.

Cell laughed under the light of all attacks hitting him in the back, his eyes flickering. He could sense their efforts as well as feel the attack burying into his back. Too bad though, neither of the Z-fighters' attacks were getting through to him. "You're all so anxious to die aren't you?" the android shouted. "Well all you had to do was AAAAAAAASSSSSKKKKKK!!!!!" Cell yelled, his energy level suddenly spiking up. In a blast of pure force and burning winds, his golden aura expanded and shot towards the Z-fighters behind him. It was with that one powerful blast was all the Z-fighters caught up in a hurricane like environment, electricity consuming them and burning at them. Those who were too weak to stand up to it were immediately blown away. Yamcha first, then Tien and Krillin; they were all blown away, yelling as they tumbled through the winds. Cell growled, finding that the remaining three were still going at him with their attacks and it was annoying him. He gritted his teeth and yelled, his energy level increasing all the more. "NO CHANCE!!! YOU HAVE NO CHAAAAANNCCEEEEEE!!!!" With that, his raging energy, once possessing hurricane like force, exploded with incredible effects, the winds picking up and becoming something that Goku, Mirai and Piccolo could not handle. It was with that the three of them were sent packing, yelling out loud as they spiraled into the distance.

Gohan growled, gritting his teeth when he saw his friends and father get swept aside. At the same time however, he felt Cell's energy climb more and his attack grow more with strength and size. The android, who could now fully concentrate at the main attack at hand, sent all the energy he could muster into it. The sun like _Super Nova _attack drove forward, forcing into Gohan's _Daisenko_ blast and further increasing the pains on the young Saiyan. Gohan was slowly pushed back. His feet, which had once been digging into the earth's surface to keep him supported, suddenly began to slide across the ground, the earth breaking and crumbling beneath him. More and more chunks of ground and rubble began to rise off of the surface of the rough lands, as the planet fell further into a state on the verge of blowing. All around the world everyone could feel it, the end. Death was soon to bestow upon them unless something wasn't done. But Gohan wasn't about to give up. His opponent, a vial monster who would only use his power to harm people, was not going to get the best of him. The child glared up, eyes flaring.

"_I will not give up…I WON'T! My family and friends are counting on my! There is no way I'm giving in! If I will, this whole thing will be my fault! I will not let them down!"_ he shouted in his head, muscles screaming at him to let go, but he wouldn't listen. After coughing up some more blood, the young Saiyan felt himself clear up and he stood to full height. With the last of his energy, he began pushing it into his attack, preparing to launch his final effort filled blast.

Lime, Erran and Anya, still held down by their mothers and their android protectors, moved forward, seeing Gohan struggle through the winds. The light was bright, almost blinding, but they could still see their friend fight on. Seeing him lapsing in strength, the girls shouted to him.

"COME ON, GOHAN!" Erran called out. "BEAT HIM!!!"

"YOU PROMISED YOU WOULD!" Lime yelled as well.

"DON'T GIVE UP! YOU CAN'T GIVE UP!!!" Anya yelled as well. Kasia and Jenny didn't bother to silence them, as they too were counting on the Super Saiyan 2 child to win. 18# and 16#, who were watching, were also counting on Gohan's triumph. But under these circumstances, things seemed bleak. However, as they were staring ahead at Gohan, they noticed that another of their party had gone missing. Looking around through the hail of winds rushing around them, 18# and 16# glanced at each other, confused.

"Where's Vegeta?" 18# asked.

Cell grinned, the feeling of victory setting upon him. With the earth at his knees now and its only defender collapsing, he could finally finish this battle once and for all. "SAY GOOD BYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!" The energy put into his attack grew, the destroyer of worlds attack increasing in size and forward momentum. It was with this final ditch effort he would use to push on, destroy Gohan's attack and this planet. It was for sure to work. As it increased in size, it threatened to overwhelm his opponent's blast, the ground tearing up underneath it. The android laughed loudly, his voice echoing into the distance.

But then, it all ended at once. The android sensed something coming from above him and gasped, spinning around. He saw four simultaneous energy ball flying at him, and at the same time, the attack struck, exploding with sheer force. The very impact was enough to stagger the android, but the explosions actually bruised him. He groaned, trying to reposition himself as he looked up to see who had done it. There, flying many stories above him in full power and joined unison, Goku, Mirai, Piccolo and Vegeta floated, all their hands raised towards Cell. They were panting, exhausted but were successful. Cell gasped, his attention lapsing.

"NO WAAAAYYYYYY!!!"

Gohan gasped, the young Saiyan sensing Cell's energy falter. He could sense his father, Vegeta, Trunks and Piccolo behind the android, having thrown in their hands to aid him in this time of need. Now with Cell staggered, he could finally find a breaking point. So, using the last of his energy to unleash the last attack he would ever make in this battle, Gohan drove forward, outstretching his hand and letting out the loudest cry of all. With that yell, his aura exploded and infused with his raging attack, his blast expanding and increasing in size and strength fifty times. The attack pulsed; growing and enveloping Cell's massive _Super Nova_ energy ball. With Goku, Piccolo, Trunks and Vegeta finally out of the way, it left Gohan with nothing to lose or worry about. Moments later, his attack consumed Cell's and blasted it away, taking the android with it. Cell let out a yell when he was overwhelmed by attack, having enough time to look down and see his opponent through raging fires that had consumed him. Soon enough, the pains and suffering of death came down upon him like a pile of bricks, his skin burning away, followed by chunks of his flesh. His mouth flew upon as he let out a horrified scream.

Gohan gritted his teeth, glaring through his attack and up at his opponent. His energy came out in a raging inferno, exploding with a shockwave and lightning up the whole sky. The massive blast shot up, out of the atmosphere and planet, and into the depths of space. It took Cell with it, burning him outside and in. It was with this last blast of power was the android completely annihilated. With a final cry, Cell's body and nucleus was burned away, reduced to ash with his final words echoing into the distance.

"DDAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRNNNNNNNNNNN IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!" he screamed, before disappearing into oblivion. With that, Gohan's blast carried the nothingness into space and vanished. The young Saiyan relinquished his hold on his attack and with it; it died out, leaving no trace of Cell left. And so, as the world settled back to normal, it was finally safe to say it was all over…

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_

****

* * *

_**Power levels:**_

**(Cell Games)**

**Cell:**

Imperfect Cell: 42,000,000

Second Stage Cell (Android 18b absorbed): 65,000,000

Perfect Cell: 90,000,000

Perfect Cell (33 percent full power): 145,000,000

Perfect Cell (100 percent full power): 180,000,000

Perfect Cell (110 percent full power): 220,000,000

Perfect Cell (Perfect Form): 325,000,000

**Gohan:**

Base: 100,000,000

Super Saiyan: 200,000,000

Super Saiyan 2: 400,000,000

**Goku:**

Base: 70,000,000

Full Power Super Saiyan: 95,000,000

Super Saiyan (Full Power): 140,000,000

**Vegeta:**

Base: 50,000,000

Super Saiyan: 100,000,000

Super Saiyan (2nd Grade): 125,000,000

**Mirai Trunks:**

Base: 55,000,000

Super Saiyan: 110,000,000

Super Saiyan (2nd Grade): 135,000,000

**Piccolo:**

Base: 20,000,000

Base (Sync with Nail): 45,000,000

Base (Fuse with Kami): 95,000,000

**Krillin:**

Base: 2,500,000

**Tien:**

Base: 1,950,000

**Yamcha:**

Base: 1,800,000

**Android 18#:**

Base: 35,000,000

**Android 16#:**

Base: 45,000,000

_**Other:**_

**Hercule:**

Base: 120

Satan Dynamo: 136

**Lime:**

Base: 5

**Erran:**

Base: 4.8

**Anya:**

Base: 4.5


	34. Hero's Farewell

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Hero's Farewell_

The battle was won! And with the fight over, the Z-fighters were able to rest. Those who had been knocked down by Cell got to their feet, and as soon as they were all up, gazed out onto the battlefield where much of the fighting had taken place. Goku, Trunks and Vegeta had averted back to their base forms, exhausted. That didn't mean everyone else was. Battered and bruised, sporting new scars from the previous fight, all the Z-fighters staggered into view. Yamcha was helped by both Tien and Krillin, and Piccolo was supported by Trunks and Goku. The whole group had sustained injuries, but they wouldn't be alive now if it wasn't for one special Saiyan.

They all grinned as they saw Gohan standing at the beginning end of the large crater that was formed by the final attack that had taken place. Still in Super Saiyan 2, the child was staring up into the sky, panting with both his hands fisted at his sides. With a smile, Gohan's eyes became half-lidded and he fell over backwards, falling to the ground with exhaustion. 16# and 18# were still behind him, holding onto Erran, Anya, Kasia, Jenny and Lime. The group of girls was astounded, and was still staring in shock and surprise. But as soon as the fight had ended, the three children ran free of the androids' protective arms and over to Gohan, surrounding the young Saiyan lying sprawled out, a smile on his face and eyes still open. He looked very relieved. The girls knelt around him, gazing happily down at him as well.

"Gohan!" Lime exclaimed. "You did it! You beat Cell!!!"

"You're amazing Gohan!" Erran shouted happily as well. Gohan grinned at them, chuckling in spite of the pain he felt coursing through his body. It was just then he sensed Goku and the others land all around him, smiling down at him proudly. Kasia, Jenny, 18# and 16# approached too, joining the crowds. However, they all kept their distance, giving the boy some space to breathe as he recovered from his fierce battle. If anyone could have pulled it off any better, it was him. The child laughed, looking around at all his friends and family members standing around him.

"W-Well…I couldn't have done it without you guys," the young Saiyan said, blinking with his turquoise eyes wavering. "Thank you all…"

"Ahh, don't mention it kid," Piccolo exclaimed, crossing his arms and taking a step forward. "You did all the hard work!"

"We'd be toast if it wasn't for you, Gohan," Yamcha continued in place.

"It'd take a lot of hard work for us to get to your level," Krillin said as well.

Everyone congratulated the child, even Vegeta who said his silently so that no one could hear him. He wasn't one to share any gratitude or congrats around his fellow Z-fighters, being so prideful and everything. Still, he did show respect every now and then. He smiled down at Gohan and nodded to him, the young Saiyan catching this through the corner of his blurry vision. After a moment or two, things came back into focus, and he saw his dad push through the crowd and kneel down beside him, helping him into his lap. With his hand held underneath the young Saiyan's head and his other hand under his legs, Goku smiled down at his son with pride. They both stared at each other, sharing happy smiles in this little moment.

"We're all proud of you Gohan," the older Saiyan said. "You did great…"

Gohan chuckled. "Thanks dad. So did you…" His father just nodded, still smiling with his eyes wavering.

"Come on…we'll get you fixed up. You're looking even worse then usual. That was a real beating you took out there against Cell," Goku exclaimed amusingly, propping him up for travel.

But as the older Saiyan prepared to transport his son, Gohan suddenly reeled to the side and threw up, blood spilling onto the ground and his gi top. This shocked Goku and the others, and when they saw the wound, they remembered what had happened. Lime, Erran, Piccolo, Trunks and Krillin moved forward, gasping and looking worried now. Even Vegeta became concerned, taking a step forward. The young Saiyan coughed and choked, more blood splattering onto his top as he returned into his father's arms and gazed up at the Saiyan. His expression was pained, tears welling up in the child's eyes. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, joining the flow.

"I-I'm sorry dad…b-but I…can't…" Gohan said through a horse voice. Goku gritted his teeth.

"No Gohan! Don't say that!" the Saiyan said. Lime looked at the older Saiyan with concern and a strong need to help her friend. Erran and Anya were acting the same.

"Quick! We have to get him to a hospital!" Lime stated.

Kasia suddenly came in and took Lime and Erran by their shirts, pulling them back and taking them into her arms. The two young girls hugged their guardian, staring down at Gohan who coughed and choked even more. He was in incredible pain, and they too felt it. All the girls who had taken to their parents began to sob, tears running down from their eyes.

"I-Is he g-going t-to die…?" Anya asked in a soft, saddened tone. Jenny shook her head, taking her daughter into a tighter embrace and running her hand through her hair, soothing her.

"No he isn't Anya…he isn't…" But that didn't help. Gohan still coughed up blood, trembling in his father's arms and looking like hell. He was in pain, gazing with hurt up at his friends, hanging onto the edge of life itself. Piccolo moved forward, also coming to kneel by Gohan and placed his hand over his wound. He looked down with worry, with Trunks also joining them. The Namekian gritted his teeth and looked up at Goku.

"He's in critical condition…" the Namekian stated.

"He needs a Senzu Bean!" Mirai continued, turning to the older Saiyan beside him. "Quick, give him one!"

"N-No…wait!" Gohan suddenly spoke, grabbing his father's hand. Goku, reacting instinctively, gripped his son's hand in response. Everyone turned to Gohan, seeing him trembling in the older Saiyan's arms. It was from here tears began streaming from the child's eyes, his expression still pained. "A-A Senzu b-bean won't help. M-My heart is co-completely destroyed…"

Goku shook his head, also feeling tears come to his eyes. "W-What…no…"

"He's right!" 16# said, gazing down upon Gohan and the group beneath him, who turned their sights on him. The giant android's eyes flickered, giving him clear readouts of their situation. He frowned sadly. "Cell's attack had punctured straight through the main part of his circulatory system, and disintegrated his heart. All that is left keeping him alive is his energy and spirit," the android said, looking up. "There's nothing we can do for him…his bodily functions are failing."

"No! NO!" Goku shouted, looking around desperately and turning to the others around him. "There has to be something we can do! I am not going to lose my only son!"

"Goku…" Mirai whispered.

"No!" The older Saiyan stated firmly. "No! I will not give up on him! I never have!" Goku continued. "We'll take him to Dende…he can help!"

"D-Dad," Gohan whispered, gripping his father's hand more. His father looked down at him, still desperate. When he did, his son smiled, tears still trickling from his eyes. Everyone was silent, and was listening to the young Saiyan speak. "Y-You won't l-lose me…I-I'm always…h-here…"

Lime, overwhelmed with fear for Gohan and sadness, hugged Kasia tightly and hid her face, along with Erran. Anya did too, neither of them able to watch this. Their mothers were on the verge of tears too, as well as everyone else who was watching. They couldn't take it. The pains Gohan felt mist have been the worse he had ever experienced.

Gohan grinned, holding onto his father's hand tightly. "T-Tell mom…I-I'll miss her…and t-that I l-love h-her…"

Goku gasped and panicked, gripping his son's hand tighter and holding his head up towards him more. Their eyes remained locked all the way through to the end. "NO GOHAN! I'm not going to let you die…no …not here…" the Saiyan said, tears suddenly beginning to stream out of his eyes. He held his son's hand to his chest, not wanting to let go. Gohan's energy was dropping, wavering with his life on the verge of collapse. "Not here…I won't…"

The young Saiyan choked, blood filling his mouth and seeping out of the corners. The pain was intense, and he was slowly slipping away. But he held on, just so he could see his friends for the last time. "It's okay…I-I want it t-to be this way," Gohan whispered. "I…just want t-to know…that I-I'll always be there…in _your_ hearts…" he gazed up at his friends. "A-All of you…" He then turned to Piccolo, reaching out and grabbing his gi with a weak, trembling hand. The Namekian grabbed Gohan's hand too, staring at him with tears of his own coming to his eyes. "I-I'll miss y-you all…"

With the last of his strength, he looked around at the faces of his loved ones, trembling with his vision blurring. With his smile still in place, he gazed once more up at his father and uttered his last words. "G-Good-bye…friends…" His strength left him, and he closed his eyes, falling back. His grip disappeared from his father's hand and Piccolo's hand, sliding out and falling limp at his sides. His ki completely vanished, yet he remained in his Super Saiyan 2 state. His tail fell limp as well, and the pendant he wore around his neck, once sparkling, and now faded in light.

Everyone around Gohan wept, tears streaming down their faces. Lime, Erran and Anya cried into their mother who tried their best not to cry. Goku, having felt his son die in his very arms, hugged the child close to him and cried, tears falling onto his tattered clothes. Piccolo also shed tears, shutting his eyes and looking away, trembling. Tears fell free of Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, 18# and Mirai, all of them gazing upon the body of Gohan. Even Vegeta cried. With tears running down his cheeks, the Prince of Saiyans shut his eyes and gritted his teeth, looking away just as Piccolo had done. 16#, though could not shed his own tears, also gazed sadly, a small drop falling free of his eye. It ran down his cheek before leaving him and falling to the earth, staining it just as everyone else had done. Through this whole time, Gohan remained lifeless. His face remained peaceful as always, as though he was asleep.

Goku sobbed, hugging his son tightly to him. It was then after crying out did he move back, eyes red and looking down at his son. He was gone, and there was nothing he could do now. It was amazing though. Gohan accepted death without fear, submissive even if his end had come. This was proof that the boy was braver then any of them could of ever been, and stronger by spirit and of heart. Goku blinked, his last tears falling. Suddenly, as though called by the heavens itself, Gohan's body suddenly became transparent, his weight vanishing from the Son father's arms. Blue specks and sparkles of energy suddenly lifted into the air, the young Saiyan's image fully vanishing into thin air, replaced by this formation of blue energy. The Z-fighters gasped, all of them moving back as the twinkling specks floated up and around them, moving into their mists. Everyone gazed awe struck at the specks floating around them, seemingly having minds of their own. But then, with the wind, the energy lifted up into the skies before disappearing, floating off in all different directions. Goku, Piccolo and Trunks stood up, joining their friends to watch the sparkling mist vanish.

Seconds later, it was gone…and so was Gohan…

* * *

_**Kami's Lookout…**_

_**Some time later…**_

It was some time after the Cell Games had ended, and after gathering up their senses, the Z-fighters left. Behind, they left the T.V crew, Hercule and with no answers for them. All they had to do was make up whatever it was that needed to be said. Since they had been blown away at the last moments of the Cell Games and were incapacitated at the time to witness the final seconds of the battle, they assumed something heroic must have happened. The T.V crew was even gullible enough to listen to Hercule's part of the story. Because he 'knew' so much about this, they figured he must have had something to do with Cell's defeat. However, whatever the foreign group decided did not matter to the Z-Team in the least. All they wanted to do now was repair the damages that have been made, and renew all lives.

Everyone was broken, inside and out. Though Cell had been defeated once and for all, Gohan's death had hit them all hard. All their hopes and happiness that was supposed to have risen after their victory was drowned away by sorrow, sadness and grief. If Gohan had lived, then it would have been a different story. Bulma and her family, who had been watching the fight through their hidden cameras, had witnessed the whole thing and were shattered as much as everyone else. Immediately at the conclusion of the Cell Games, the scientist flew up to the Lookout as fast as she could. This left several members of the Z-fighters questioning what had happened. Chi-Chi was among them. She knew nothing of her son's death, and thought that everything was going to be okay. But little did she know was of the sadness that was to come when her husband returned with the bad news. But then again…there was still some hope left to turn too…

Shenron…

As soon as the entire group returned to the Lookout with Lime, Erran, Anya and their parents in tow, they brought the seven dragon balls Mr. Popo had collected together and summoned the dragon. With the skies turning dark and the unison of the seven mystical orbs opening that door to the world beneath them, Shenron came forth in a magnificent display of golden light and booming thunder. Within seconds, the dragon appeared in the skies above them, his extremely long body coiling around the Lookout, enveloping them all as he gazed upon those who had summoned him. With Goku, Piccolo, Dende, Mirai, Krillin and 18# at the head of the pack, they gazed up at the mighty dragon with bleak, plain expressions. Everyone was monotone at the moment; however Lime and her family friends were gazing up in awe. Never in their lives have they ever seen such a mighty beast before. He was magnificent as ever. Surely he would be able to help them.

The dragon glared down at the Z-fighters with his big, red, glowing eyes, seeing them gazing up at him in silence. With his large maw in motion, he began to speak. _**"I have come to grant you three wishes…speak them now so that I may go!"**_

The group looked amongst each other, smiling slightly and nodding in unified agreement. They have talked of this the moment they had returned. And now with Shenron summoned, they could proceed. Vegeta hung back in the background with his arms crossed, leaning against a pillar and glaring up at the dragon. 18# stood by her boyfriend Krillin, with Yamcha and Tien standing behind them. Bulma was standing amongst them, baby Trunks held in her arms. 16# stood beside Vegeta by the Lookout's prestige building pillars, staring blankly into space. Mr. Popo took his place by Dende, all eyes gazing up at Shenron. So, with their assumed positions on the Lookout's surface, they began.

Goku stepped forward, calling up to the dragon. "Shenron! We wish that all the people killed by the androids and Cell be brought back to life!" the Saiyan shouted, his voice easily carrying on to the dragon's ears. The magical dragon heard this and nodded affirmatively.

"_**It shall be done…"**_

Goku smiled and nodded back, watching the dragon's eyes shine brightly as he made that wish possible. During this, the older Saiyan looked back at his friends cheerfully, who stared back in surprise. "Because Gohan was killed by Cell, he should be brought back to life along with the others!"

Krillin grinned. "That means he'll be back!"

"Yeah, that's right!" Yamcha exclaimed, turning to Line and the others standing behind him. "Don't worry girls, you'll see Gohan soon enough! Just keep a weather eye over the horizon!"

Lime, Erran and Anya nodded before returning their eyes to the dragon soaring above them. Shenron's leathery hide weaved through the skies, glowing brilliantly in the dark. It was a whole sight to behold. But what was more amazing was his magic. You can ask him anything and he'll do his best to answer the call. Within moments, after watching the dragon's eyes waver under his golden glow, they died a bit in their intensity and Shenron looked back down at those he was answering.

"_**Your first wish has been granted!"**_ the dragon said. _**"State your second wish!"**_

The entire gang grinned, with Piccolo closing his eyes and immediately extending his senses out over the planet. In his effort, he went out in search for Gohan's ki. The others did so too, and waited with anticipation. They all expected to find their young hero soon. During their search, they scanned over the Cell Games arena and the areas around it. If Gohan would show up, it would be somewhere there. But when they couldn't sense him there, they further widened their search. Amazingly enough, even Vegeta went on searching with his senses, eyes closed and concentration fully locked on this task. 16#'s eyes cast over the edge of the Lookout, also joining the team in searching for the young Saiyan. However, as it turned out, his systems were scrambling by a strange signal in the air. His readouts were locking onto Gohan alright, but the funny thing was, he appeared to be everywhere. It was about the time 16# ceased searching did the Z-fighters finally scan the entire planet. When they couldn't find Gohan anywhere, they all opened their eyes and looked around at each other.

"Hey…did you guys manage to find Gohan's energy signal?" Yamcha asked. Tien shook his head, so did Krillin.

"Nope," the tri-clops replied.

"Zilch! Nothing…" Krillin exclaimed.

"I couldn't find him either," 18# stated, looking down at Krillin. Yamcha looked in some other direction, looking both nervous and puzzled at the same time.

"Well that's strange…"

Mirai turned to Piccolo and Goku, a similar expression of confusion and worry edged in his features. He blinked as soon as his sights settled on the spiky haired Saiyan standing at the head of the pack. "Sorry Goku, I can't seem to get a lock on him…"

Piccolo nodded in agreement. "We can't find him anywhere," the Namekian stated.

"That means something must be wrong," Dende added, stepping forward in concern. Goku furrowed his brow and looked at the ground in serious thought. A moment later, he turned back to Shenron floating above their heads.

"Hey Shenron! Are you sure you wished everyone killed by Cell and the androids back to life?" Goku called. The dragon drifted in closer, a growl escaping his throat.

"_**Yes!"**_ the dragon said. _**"I never leave a possible wish unfulfilled or incomplete! What is it you have a problem with?"**_ he asked.

Goku blinked, becoming more anxious then ever. He stepped forward, tightening his hands into nervous fists. "Well…you see, we wished everyone killed by all those we have listed, and that should include Gohan shouldn't it? Why can't we sense him if you wished him back to life?" the Saiyan asked. Shenron glowered at him, eyes flashing. Everyone knew something was up, but they couldn't explain what the problem was.

"_**I…could not bring that one soul back to life because…"**_ Shenron began, but he was hesitant. His connection with the world around him allowed his senses to hone itself on everything he was involved with. This included all the people he has brought back to life in his wishes. To add up to this, he would know everything about the people that he could not bring back to life, what with his connection with the Otherworld through universal telepathy toned senses. The Z-fighters however didn't, and waited impatiently for the dragon's reasons.

"Because what Shenron? Why couldn't you bring him back to life?" Goku called. Lime and Erran had grown impatient of this talk and tried to walk away from the two mothers but were held back by them. This wasn't their affair to get involved with.

"You said you would do it! No fair!" Lime shouted.

"We wished for it to come true! Why didn't it!" Erran yelled angrily.

"_**Because…"**_ Shenron began, struggling to find words to continue with. At this point, everyone around the Lookout was becoming impatient.

"Why couldn't you bring my son back to life?" Goku shouted, his friends gathering behind him and coming in closer. The dragon scowled, eyes flaring almost dangerously but mostly because he was growing with stress. In that instant, he broke it to them clear and simple.

"_**I couldn't bring him back to life because he is alive!"**_

Everyone was silenced. All questions and impatience had completely disappeared at this news flash. It was quite surprising. Bulma was gaping in surprise, as was several other Z-fighters. Even Vegeta, who was usually quiet about most things, was gaping up in shock at the dragon. Wide eyes were fixed with the dragon who glared back down at them, a gust of wind being the only thing that was heard. Well, this awkward silence wasn't to last. When the baby Trunks in Bulma's arms tilted his head and made a baby 'gaga' sound, everyone all around returned to earth. Goku gulped, stammering as he backed away.

"H-He's…a-alive…" the Saiyan said.

"That's impossible!" Mirai shouted.

"We saw it with our own eyes!" Krillin yelled out. "Gohan died right in front of us!"

"It's impossible for someone to live after an attack like the one Cell used on him!" Tien stated. "I know that for a fact since beams like that can do serious internal damage!"

"The odds are stacked, there's no way he's alive!" 18# shouted out above the others. The dragon wheeled around on all of them, eyes glowing red again.

"_**All I'm telling you is the truth! Gohan is alive and well…however, he is not walking through this world anymore!"**_ the dragon stated. Dende raised an eyebrow.

"Not of this world?" the guardian repeated. "What does that mean?"

"What kind of crap are you feeding us dragon?" Vegeta shouted out from behind all of them, unfolding his arms and striding forward. With an angry expression in play, he pushed passed Piccolo and came to stand beside Goku, glaring up at the dragon. "All this dragging along is killing me! Why don't you enlighten us? What is this other world Gohan is now walking in?"

Shenron floated up a bit, leaning back. Though he wasn't threatened by the presence of these powerful fighters standing before him, he was just stressed by the matters at hand. All these questions bombarding him were getting on his nerves. With a growl like sigh, he lowered his head, eyes shimmering in their sockets. _**"The world I speak of is one that rests on an axis different to this one. It is not like a shadow realm that exists on the other side of this universe like two sides of a coin, but a threshold that crosses into another opposite world on this planet. It is an empty place where entities of life roam and live in peace…watching over us…"**_

Piccolo's eyes flew open. He finally realized what Shenron was speaking of. Looking up at the dragon, he gritted his teeth and began to speak. "Are you talking about a Spirit World?" Shenron nodded affirmatively.

"_**I am aware of the existence of the world you speak of. Gohan roams in that realm now, as his spirit has a strong connection to it. Since his body is bonded and tied firmly to his soul, physical elements of the child have been transported there too,"**_ Shenron stated. _**"Because the Spirit World can only be accessed through only one bridge between them, I cannot transport him here, otherwise he will die!"**_

Goku was astounded. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Gohan was alive! It was incredible! But still, even though he was glad to hear that his son was alive, he was a bit disappointed that they couldn't reach him. However, news of his son's continued existence in the living world sort of helped. After gazing up at the dragon for several seconds, he turned to Piccolo, expression still maintaining its look of utter surprise.

"Piccolo, he told you about this world didn't he?" Goku asked. The green warrior nodded in response, his expression monotone now. "Then…is it possible to find that world?" Shenron heard him, and in place, spoke up got Goku.

"_**That is impossible!"**_ he said, catching everyone's attention once again. _**"Because the world was guarded by the very spirit that Gohan is now, the Saiyan you speak of has become the bridge himself, and is the only one among us that could access both worlds. Not even my powers can create a second bridge, only one can exist! That is law!"**_ the dragon stated. _**"It is of young Gohan's choice to decide whether he wants to be found, return or allow the world to be accessed. But as guardian of the Spirit World, he cannot allow such an act…I'm sorry…"**_

Goku, after hearing this, smiled and nodded in understanding. Everyone else seemed to understand as well, especially Piccolo.

"So that's why he was going off to meditate…" the Son father exclaimed. "It makes perfect sense." He turned to his Namekian friend standing behind him, eyes sparkling. The green warrior nodded back to him in response with a smile happy smile. Goku grinned. "Well…I guess he has a choice then," the Son father said. Tears began to brim in his eyes as he said those words.

"…stay here, go into limbo or accept death like a true warrior," Piccolo said with a that same smile plastered on his lips, eyes wavering in a similar fashion. "I see he chose to stay…"

Goku nodded affirmatively, looking up into the sky above him. "I'm glad…" It was above him he saw a speck of blue light fly by, leaving a trail of shining dust in its wake. It looped through the air once, but after being seen by Goku, it floated away into the distance. The older Saiyan's eyes stared after it, a smile edged out on his face. "I'm going to miss him…"

"We're all going to miss him guys," Bulma said, tears shimmering and running down her cheeks. "He said so himself. He loved us all and cared for us…I'm sure this is what he wants us to do?"

"Knowing Gohan," Krillin exclaimed with a laugh. "He would want us to carry on with our lives peacefully."

"It's what he wants us all to do!" Lime exclaimed. Kasia, Erran, Jenny and Anya nodded in agreement.

"And even though he's not here, he'll always be looking out for us!" Erran said happily.

"I'm sure he'll be happy where he is now," Kasia said, and she was cheerful about it.

"We know so!" Anya called out.

"He asked of us that specifically," Mirai said, smiling as well with tears running down from his eyes. "To honor my master, I'd say we should stay true to his request…and leave him be…"

Goku nodded, but looked down on the ground. "Yeah. But, h-how am I going to explain this to Chi-Chi?" the spiky haired warrior asked. "She's going to be very upset…"

Piccolo walked up to his friend, and laid a hand on his shoulder. He gave Goku a reassuring squeeze. "We'll help you get through this, Son…it'll be alright…" The Saiyan stared at the Namekian for a moment, blinking a couple of times. After feeling the reassurance for himself, the Son father smiled and nodded.

"Thanks Piccolo…"

Behind them, Vegeta had broken away from the group after hearing what had to be said and what was said. As he walked away from the group, leaving them all behind, he turned to a new post on the very edge of the Lookout. From here, he gazed out onto the skies and beyond, seeing the darkness fall but the clouds visible drift by. It was some view, but that's not what interested him. His thoughts lingered off, taking him back to the days he was purging earth, and fighting Gohan. It was after that he heard the true words from the child himself. It was these that reminded him of how strong the young Saiyan really was, and how much he had changed.

"…_everyone deserves a second chance…no matter who he or she is…"_

The Saiyan Prince smirked, eyes shimmering. The events behind him continued, yet he kept to himself. He remained silent, thinking. "Is that really it Kakabrat?" he asked the air in front of him. "Do second chances really come to those who _really_ deserve it?" Vegeta continued. Even though he received no answer in return, he closed his eyes and nodded, as if spoken to by Gohan himself. "I'm one to think so. You taught me that yourself, and…I thank you…"

He looked up, seeing the same speck Goku had seen drift past. It shone bright where it floated above him, before it suddenly curved through the air, turned around and flew off into the distance. As for Vegeta, he knew better. "You'll always be here with us. I know you'll be watching over us. Just…take care," Vegeta called quietly so no one from the group could hear him. "But when you return…and I hope we'll meet again…we'll have our promised match! And I assure you Gohan; it will be in the ring where everyone can see!"

As his voice carried off into the distance, a transparent image of Gohan appeared floating on the horizon some ways away from the Lookout. The young Saiyan was dressed in hi gi, all clean and fresh, and the child was looking healthier and better than he has ever looked before. From his position, he heard and saw everything, as he gazed out towards his friends with a happy smile. The winds whipped through him, but not here…in the other world where he really was. However, his connection with this world (the world the Z-fighters were in) was still as strong as ever! He nodded, saluting.

"_I'm looking forward to it Vegeta…"_ the young Saiyan said. _"Till next time…"_

With that, his body vanished, turning into a blue speck of light once more. That too disappeared into the distance, traveling in that form. Though no one knew Gohan had just been with them several minutes ago, but it was clear that he would always be there. But this wasn't the end. In fact, it was the start of a new beginning…

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	35. Rise

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Rise_

_**As The Years Go By…**_

Things basically returned to normal right after the Cell Games. Peace, prosperity and happiness fell onto the planet and its people once again, leaving way for another generation to grow. With no more stress or fights to worry about, the Z-fighters could finally relax, and just in the nick of time too. It has been so long since any member of the Z-Warrior Team ever seen or experienced such a peaceful time. From here on in, there were clear skies ahead for them all the way. The world's armies and people practically threw down their arms of defense to rejoice in this wondrous occasion. Right after the Cell Games, people celebrated, paying their praises and congrats to their supposed hero, Hercule Satan. He took all the credit for Cell's defeat, pissing off the Z-fighters at his boasting and insults towards them. But they needed a puppet to stand in for them anyway to draw attention from them. Plus the group wasn't too fussed about Mr. Satan taking all the credit, since they all knew who the real hero of that fateful day was. However, if Hercule was to push it any further towards Gohan's death, then something bad would come down on him involving Goku, Vegeta and Piccolo. But it never happened, and thus it gave the Z-fighters a clean slate to fill.

As said, things carried on as usual for everyone. In honor of Gohan's sacrifice and of Cell's defeat, the Ox-King held a grand party at his Kingdom, inviting the entire Z-Gang to join in on the festivities. The people who served the Grand King paid tribute to their true savior, a memorial for Gohan built in the centre of the Ox-King's Capital. The Briefs were invited, as well as Krillin, 18#, 16#, Yamcha, Master Roshi and his household of guests, Lime and her family, Erran, Kasia, Anya, Jenny, Piccolo, Dende, Mr. Popo and of course, Goku's family. Everyone under the Ox-King's rule celebrated with a feast and a party that went on for hours on end. The Z-fighters felt guilty though, since Gohan wasn't here to enjoy these celebrations with them. But they knew he was here with them, in spirit. As promised, the young Saiyan watched over his friends and family members from afar, making sure they enjoyed their times of peace. He would be disappointed if they didn't.

Chi-Chi had taken Gohan's supposed death pretty well. After some time of crying, Goku was able to assure her that it would be alright, and it was what their son wanted. Since he was still alive in the Spirit World opposite them, there was still a positive side to it. The Son mother finally came to an understanding and was able to find a light in this new dark time. And yet, in spite of Gohan's absence, she felt he was still with her in her heart. Picking up the pieces, Chi-Chi and Goku were able to renew their lives with the start of a new beginning. A new member had just been born into their family, and it had to be equal to the very day Gohan was born. Chi-Chi gave birth to a new baby son she happily named Goten. It was with his birth she and Goku promised to give him a life Gohan never had, one full of peace and no fighting. Though they would continue on with their usual acts of parenting, the spiky haired child would grow up strong and healthy. Not bothering to change houses, the family remained at the Son residence, growing up in the mountain ranges of Mount Paoz.

Piccolo, feeling that his position in the Z-fighters' group has taken a time out, had taken up a new post on the Lookout. With his place-to-stay problem gone and done away with, the Namekian warrior set forth a new task to serve as a protector for Dende and a second Guardian of Earth if that day was to arrive. For the next many months that passed, he would perform errands for Dende and for most of the time he spent up on the Lookout, would sit in quiet meditation and keep to his thoughts. Dende's duties as the Guardian of Earth would continue from here as well, his eyes cast over the vast landscapes and his mind set firmly on the dealings and doings of the people below him. It would be a long chore that's for sure.

Bulma, Vegeta and Mirai returned to Capsule Corp right after the celebration at the Ox-Kingdom's Capital, all of them having finally recovered from the shock of Gohan's fate. But their excitement wasn't to end. The day after that, they all learned that Mirai was to return to his time. Bidding farewell to the Z-fighters who gathered to see him off, the time traveling warrior departed in the same time machine he used to arrive here. More hope and happiness was gathered from these moments, as the whole gang wished their friend and family member good luck and good health, and a safe trip for his journey back to his time. Mirai waved his last to everyone as his time machine lifted up into the sky. It was also from his cock-pit he could have sworn he saw a transparent Gohan standing amongst his parents, the young warrior returning for those few seconds to see him off. At the same time as the Saiyan child vanished, Mirai leapt into the future, returning to his time in a flash. After that, everyone returned to their daily duties. Vegeta and Bulma continued their time at Capsule Corp, raising their baby son Trunks. He grew up quickly over the next couple of years, and grew stronger with each passing month. His parents were really proud of him, and continued living happily together. 16# had also taken up residence at CC as an assistant to Bulma and Mr. Briefs. Although he mostly spent his time in the greenhouse where the animals were kept, he did his fair share of work, and never had to eat anything. From here, the android proceeded on with his life of peace and silence, moving to an easy resting period.

As for Krillin's life, it couldn't have gotten any better then it was now. But it did. After a couple of months of dating and going out, Krillin and 18# eventually got married. They invited all their friends, the entire Z-gang attending the ceremony. Along with everything else that had occurred in the time that had passed between the Cell Games and the wedding, this just happened to be one of the most joyous occasions that had happened to the group. Between them all, it was a quiet, private ceremony, set _out_ of the eyes of the public. They didn't want this to be known, as fears of being discovered by those who had given the Cell Games a proper look were too great. And so, after a party and honeymoon, the new couple returned to Kame House, with many plans for the future. Heck, they also thanked the one who really made this all possible for them. A year later, the couple had a daughter they named Marron, and the three together made a family. As for Master Roshi, they didn't let his bad influence get to them, and just carried on. Oolong and Turtle also presided at the house, with enough rooms there to satisfy 30, despite the small size of the place. It was paradise.

Yamcha had finally moved out of Capsule Corp., and settled down in Central City. Giving up on martial arts, the former fighter made it to the top as a professional, world champion base baler. Everyone all around knew him, and he became quite a celebrity. There were also more good times to be had with this as well. Not only did he become a rich celebrity, but he also met the girl of his dreams some time after Krillin's wedding; a girl named Ren. It was within 5 months of dating the two of them got married, having a private ceremony, and only inviting their friends and family to the event. It was safe to say that things were going great for Yamcha.

Tien and Chouzu had taken up old ways and moved into the mountains once more, leaving their friends behind with good wishes for the future. Though they returned for the weddings and those big get-togethers with the gang, the two of them always left. A lot of training was in store for the two, but they also had a kingdom of their own to run. Chouzu resumed his position as Emperor with his body-guard friend, and together ran a prosperous state. A peaceful nation, they formed alliances with the main land and almost every peace going state they met. Things went well. Tien, remarkably, even settled down with a long-gone, supposed girlfriend, Launch, who had given up crime to be with him. It was tough going for a couple of months, but they eventually got along.

For six years time flew on. The planet continued to have its rains of peace with little conflicts raging across the globe. There were no wars, just minor snitches in cities involving robbers, gang members, mafias and other criminals. It should have been considered by the Z-fighters that they'd do something about these problems, but no one took it upon themselves to make any use of their free time for this matter. They left these problems to the law enforcement officers.

As for Hercule, the afro martial artist, he became the most famous man on the planet. Though the Z-fighters heard little about him, they caught on to the fact that he was a real swing in the World Martial Arts Tournaments. He challenged everyone, and won every fight. It was incredible that a man of his stature of strength and intelligence could achieve such a title. So, on the sixth year, a small band of the Z-fighters' group, which consisted of Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Krillin and 18#, all decided they would enter that year's competition. Now that everyone had grown, including 6-year-old Goten and 7-year-old Trunks (who were now old enough to enter the tournament's junior division), they felt confident about entering the tournament and beating the acclaimed savior of the world. It would begin in three months from the day they decided on this. It was going to be fun…

But don't count out on one other Z-fighter from being there…

* * *

_**Far edge of the planet…**_

It was cold, cloudy and God-awfully unstable out here in this area of the main land, far beyond the reaches of any city or civilization. Well, what else could you expect? A vast landscape, mostly consisting of snow covered Mountain Ranges that formed high walls, cliffs, treacherous paths and points reaching up into the clouds, was sure to fit the above description. However, it wasn't all that bad. The ranges appeared on the horizon as a magnificent spectacle. Anyone would stop and take a moment to gaze over the unknown, high fields that stretched for miles on end. Even the hillsides, forests and other areas surrounding the ranges were beautiful enough to set your sights upon and awe you. The skies were clear and the air was especially fresh. But strangely enough, these lands had no connection or even the slightest contact with human life. It was unknown to all, as though this place wanted to remain illusive, even if it couldn't move. Under cloud cover it hid itself from planet orbiting satellites, and reaching this place also proved to be a challenge as no roads led off even passed this place. Something must have made sure of this places' invisibility from the eyes of the world…

Anyway, as you moved through the mountains, you were bared the full and utter spectacle of this wonderful place. Although the temperature here was cold enough to freeze you to death in minutes, it was still a grand, natural landmark. The clouds formed rings around the tips of the mountains, and even laid fluffy white blankets across the skies around the area. No wonder the area remained undiscovered. Still, it dragged on, drawing us deeper and deeper into its treacherous mists. The only signs of life were the mountain eagles, dragons and dinosaurs that lived here, who have adapted to this type of atmosphere. The thing air made their lungs fit, and the cold made them durable against the harsh weathers of this world. But passing the areas in which these creatures roamed, you were taken to an empty, wasteland of an area nestled deep within the ranges.

It was all quiet out here, there was barely any noise except for the cool breeze drifting through the mountains. It enveloped this area, creating the site that you saw now. The sub-zero temperatures iced this clearing completely. From a certain point, you could see that the icy valley was made up of vines and crystallized glass as a result of the cold. It was all dead or dying. The clearing was also hilly, the foundations looking quite stable. A dirt path leading from the mountains wove its way into this area, passing an abandoned, run down wind-mill and up a steeper hill to a bombed out, ruined castle standing strong in the middle of the clearing. Rubble and remains lay around it, holes punched all over its exterior with the roof crumbling in. The dead vines that strung the valley and crawled up the walls of the castle went through a mind-boggling change, as they were now green and filled with life. It was as if they were brought back to life as soon as they touched the ruined building; a miracle.

The castle, being the main subject now, had its doors creaked open just slightly. And inside of it, was a similar ruined state as its outside. Only this time, it possessed a special attribute. Diamond strong crystals grew up and out of the grounds inside the castle, clinging to the walls and climbing them like the vines outside. The four support pillars of this building though weakened and under stress, were strengthened by the formation of large crystals. The minerals sparkled brightly in the light that managed to seep in through the various cracks and large holes in the walls of the castle. The main source came from a circular window resting high up on the end wall. The frames of the transparent, glass made and broken piece embedded in the rock refracted the light that poured in, the rays striking the crystals and illuminating them. To add to the beautiful splendor, it was as quiet in hear as it was outside. Under the sound of winds that passed through the structure, the chime of a gentle drip of water from an overhanging crystal onto another sounded. The slow, timed beat came in constantly, creating that constant, never ending tune. All was quiet.

Moving around the inside of the castle, we are drawn to its centre, which the four strengthened pillars surrounded, holding up the roof high above. In the centre of this one, large chamber, you could see a circular platform built up upon by six layers. All the steps leading up to it were cracked and crumbling, crystals growing out of them. Particular, large pieces of the diamond hard minerals surrounded the centre, reflecting anything that passed them, and not just the light. The platform was sort of a highlight of this entire room, and stood out from most of the objects lying around. Circling around it, you could see nothing splendid.

All was the same, and nothing much has changed from the castle's original state. It was just how the previous owner had left it. Run down. Empty. Completely deserted now and with no life to be seen presiding within it. The deafening quietness could make anyone feel uneasy. Instincts would tell them better and how forbidden this place was. If anyone knew any better, whoever would be in this place at the time could feel a presence nearby; watching them and guarding this sacred place. Well…the truth was, they wouldn't believe how right they were.

A speck of blue light suddenly flew in through a hole in the circular window, floating from the high ceiling of the castle and circling the entire room. As it did, it slowly drifted down from the highest levels and moved to the lowest level, weaving past the pillars and large crystals stretching up towards the roof. The very light emitted by this speck reflected off of the surrounding crystals, and lit up the dark areas of wall it passed by. Not guided by wind and under its own influence, it floated over the platform and moved around it. Circling the platform for a moment, it then turned its attention towards a crystal mirror with a silver, metallic frame surrounding it sitting at the back of the castle underneath the window high above. It was situated at the base of steps leading off of the platform, and remained untouched.

The speck of light saw it as now different, and floated towards it. As it approached, it seemed to shine brighter then its previous state. The image of the speck was reflected off of the mirror, not revealing its true form just yet. But then, as the speck hovered in front of the mirror for a moment, it suddenly flew into it, disappearing in a flash. A surprising, rippling formation moved out across the surface of the mirror from the very point the speck of light had used to access it in the centre. Seconds later, the formation died, leaving the mirror in its solid state. Nothing happened for a while, the breeze unchanged as well as the rhythm of the water droplet chime echoing all around. But then, after several moments, something did happen.

A blue light suddenly flashed out of the mirror and faded. It flashed again, and again, growing with more intensity and speed with every flash. It started as a long pulse in the beginning, going on for five seconds before fading. It then picked up the speed some time later, using the same rhythm as the water droplets chiming in the background. Then, the light began to flash at one second intervals, lighting up the whole room standing before it. The crystals themselves seemed to flash and shine under the glow. And they did, but not a blue glow. Their illumination was gold, yet faint and not as intense. It was from here a remarkable ritual began on its own accord.

As this flashing continued on, the winds surrounding the castle intensified. The breezes that seeped into the castle also increased to a high level, and moved through the room in a hurricane rotational direction. Then the gravity suddenly lifted pebbles and small rocks rising off of the hard, cold surface of the castle's floors. The centre of the castle's main chamber especially played a part in this.

The lights and winds grew more and more intense. It threatened to upset the balance made by the supports of the castle. But then, as it seemed to grow worse, it died down. A final, long pulse of blue light glowed brightly from the mirror, and then faded. The surrounding crystals emitting the golden auras also faded in that light, returning to their original coloration. The winds joined in, fading and leaving the place in complete silence. Even through this time, the once constant, droplet chime had stopped. The only thing that remained standing as it was was the lightened gravity. The pebbles and rocks continued to float off of the ground, giving evidence to this loss in normal atmosphere. This was suddenly turning into a very unusual situation.

Something else had changed as well. The platform that once stood empty in the centre of the castle had something new placed upon it. Magically summoned by forces unknown, a boulder made of diamond hard crystal stood in the direct centre of the platform, unmoving. And in it, deeply embedded and firmly placed within its form was a sword. The sword, with a flawless blade that gleamed like the crystals themselves and a handle build of excellent, unique design, stood proudly in its place. It was lit up by the light that poured in through the window above, making it the new, main attraction of the interior of the castle. But it was only to be the foreplay compared to what was coming up next.

The gravity slowly returned, and the pebbles and debris that once floated suspended several feet off of the ground, fell back to earth. It was just then attention was drawn back to the mirror standing at the back of the room. The darkness that surrounded it matched that it reflected in its surface. But then, that darkness was filled by a figure that had suddenly appeared as a result of the strange phenomenon's that had occurred. The figure, or more like the unknown person within the crystal placement, walked forward, coming into clear view with his head dipped and eyes overshadowed. Moments later, the figure suddenly stepped out of the mirror and onto the cold floor, as if it were just an archway of some kind. But the mirror returned to its solid, reflective state, and the figure who had stepped out of the mirror, had his reflection shone back at him.

As the young man stepped out of the shadows and into the light, he stopped just in front of the crystal boulder. From here, you could clearly see what state he was in. He was obviously a man, around 17-years-old with black, spiky hair and two bangs handing over his forehead. Like his hair, it was well defined and he was very handsome. To add to this, the young man was completely nude. His ripped body was in plain sight and in the cold, yet he didn't feel any. The light illuminated his form, which was layered with pure muscle. He had a true body of a martial artist, body builder and athlete combined. His flawless skinned held no scars, and the young man looked pretty healthy.

The moment he stepped into the light, everything seemed to fall back into rhythm. The sound of droplets continued, and the breeze picked up, weaving through the interior of the castle and joining the chimes in the background. At the starting moment of these usual sounds the young man, whose head was still dipped, breathed in deeply and then out again. Before long, the spiky haired warrior looked up; revealing his mature, well defined face with teal toned eyes. It was when he looked up another change occurred, as his teal eyes suddenly averted back to their original, black color. And there, he stood, silent and firm like a statue.

After a moment of standing there, he looked down a bit to his right. At the base of the crystal boulder in front of him, he saw a pile of clothes neatly folded before him. They were clean and beautifully preserved, just waiting to be slipped back on. Beside it was also a set of shoes and two small, brown bags. Blinking, the young man stepped and reached over, collecting the clothes and immediately putting them on. When his clothes were finally on and fitting perfectly, he now stood before the world in a handsomely pictured, clad out glory. Over his wonderfully formed and sculpted body, he wore a white, traditional style gi top with long sleeves and strung button threads, black gi pants, a blue sash tied around his waste over his top, blue ankle weights, padded, white lined, black martial arts shoes (which were very comfortable), blue wrist weights and a belt that held his two brown bags. To add to this, he had a brown, furry tail waving happily behind him. Then, to complete his outfit, he wore a sapphire crystal pendant around his neck; the pendant shaped like a heart…

With his clothes set, he then turned to the sword embedded in the boulder in front of him. Without a second thought, he stepped forward and reached out, grabbing the weapon by the handle and sheathing it from its tomb without any effort. In a loud, slicing sound, he drew it and held it up, tip pointing upwards. It flashed and shone brilliantly in the light, as if it were made for him.

Then, after once again marveling at its magnificence, the young warrior gripped the sword in two hands and dropped into a stance. Maneuvering around the platform, he began testing his weapon. Stepping forward, he slashed outwards, bringing it in an upward, diagonal strike that flashed through the air. He then pivoted, spinning around as he moved forward and slashed outwards again. With perfect control, he spun it round him and stabbed out before gripping it firmly and bringing it round in another slash through the air. The sword was equally balanced and was excellent to hold. After pivoting again and bringing his sword into quick X-Z strike, his blade flashing through the air, he then returned to a normal standing position. And with a style no one else could have performed any better; he twirled the weapon in his hand and threw it forward. As it fell, he kicked it into the air, the sword spinning above him. Then, in a all cool style, he caught the handle and sheathed the sword into a newly formed belt and scabbard tied around him. The weapon clicked into place as it slid cleanly into its holder, and when it was firmly secured, the warrior lowered his arm.

After striding around the crystal boulder once, the warrior stopped on the side where the stone steps led down towards the exit. The light that poured in through the crack in the door lit up the young man's face. His eyes shone and wavered and after turning towards the archway, a smile brightened on the young warrior's expression and he spoke.

"Home at last…"

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	36. League of Power

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_League of Power_

_**A month later…**_

There is a question as to whatever happened to the young warrior who had just returned from the Spirit World. In fact, there were a lot of questions needing to be answered. Just what exactly happened to him in the world he had journeyed through for so long? How did he manage to return to the human world? Where did he go afterwards? What is he planning on doing now? Nothing was really set in stone for him. Even on his planned return he didn't know what to do. But one thing was for certain, he was sure that this time he was going to continue living in the human world, and make his way through life from here one step at a time. It has been six long years he was gone and though they were all worth while, he missed his family and friends. So, he decided he would return to them after making his big entrance at the World Martial Arts Tournament. Here, he would reclaim his long-lost title. But first, he needed to get settled in and get his experience in the ring back.

This is where some of the answers to those questions started to become clear enough to read. After leaving his castle home, which has served as his private sanctuary for so many years, the young Saiyan headed for a different area down South. Set not too far from Mount Paoz, the newly returned Son Gohan built himself a small house by a lake and waterfall. Here from his newly established residence, he was able to live normally and healthily in the mountain air. It was basically a log made house with a couple of rooms, which included a dining room, sitting room and bedroom. Everything was either timber made or conjured up by his ki, such as clothes, pillows, quilts, cushions, kitchen utensils etc. As for food, he had no problem exploring and hunting for it, as well as picking fruits from the surrounding forests. The land provided for him, and he was good to it in kind. Every once in a while he would go on a flight around the planet to check on things, making this a part of his daily routine. Whenever he completed one flight, he would retire to his residence for a quick meal and rest before moving onto something more he enjoyed: training.

His time spent in the Spirit World allowed him hours of continuous training, which made him stronger, wiser and healthier then ever. He was in damn good shape, and had exceeded past his expectations of Super Saiyan transformations all on his own. His skills and techniques have improved phenomenally, and his knowledge of everything about martial arts had also taken an amazing rise. The knowledge he had gained in the past through studying about Math, English, and Technology etc. remained, and he never lost all that even after all these years. It just came naturally to him. Furthermore, to add to his toned up brain/mind, his body remained one to die for. Still, even though he had left that world behind, he would continue training, strengthening his body and mind. The same sessions of exercises and power sparring was had with every day that passed, after which he would turn down to weapon sparring, shadow sparring and a whole night of meditation under the stars. As before, he never needed any sleep (only if he wanted to) and he ate regularly. So, this was basically his every day routine, with few changes placed in now and then. He had a lot of fun.

He kept this up for a couple of weeks, but soon, he realized that it was time for him to find a competition which he needed to gain more tournament experience from. If he had plans of entering the World Martial Arts Tournament in two more months, then he needed all the experience he could get. The perfect opportunity came by when an International martial arts league called the Four Chambers of Commerce set up a small tournament in an Eastern Village near Gohan's home, challenging any one fighter around the world to see if they could beat their best fighters in four matches. If that one challenger could beat their four fighters, then they would be declared as International League Champion of a tournament competitive against the champ himself, Hercule Satan. The self-claimed savior of the world stated he didn't have time to enter such a tournament as he had 'other' businesses to attend to. However, he said that if any one martial artist could beat the four greatest fighters of the worldliest known league on the planet, then it would put the winner as second strongest on the world. He announced this himself. Gohan was not going to pass off a challenge like this, and so, entering under a secret identity, he was put in as the first fighter. He was perhaps the only one who dared to enter.

And so, the small tournament, which would be captured live and shown world wide on T.V, was underway…

* * *

_**Eastern Village…**_

_**600 miles North of Mount Paoz…**_

The village the Four Chambers of Commerce Tournament was being held was your basic, small town rested in the mountains not too far out from Satan City. All the preparations made for this up coming martial arts competition were huge and thoroughly done. A ring specifically built for this event was set up in the town square, to host the very matches for everyone who wished to attend to watch and observe. If anybody could get past the first guy in the first round, then there would really be a fight. So far, a large audience has turned up to bare witness to this tournament and watch the matches. It was really big stuff. The Four Chambers of Commerce have made sure to attract the best around the world to compete against their best. Their reputation as the greatest martial arts league was well known, so it was no wonder why only one man dared to face them. Everyone was surprised that it wasn't Hercule.

Surrounding the town square were just a few buildings, a library, a couple of stores and a Town Hall. They were small compared to most buildings you would find in other, more advanced towns, but at least they were descent enough to host this tournament. The town square was cleared out, and was basically just some crossroads surrounding an empty round about in the very centre. The ring was square and built solid, and was set up on the roundabout in plain sight of the crowds. The audience was to sit in stands just set up. To add to this, the quick built stadium would be guarded by soldiers of the Royal Imperial Army. Even though it wasn't even close to the popularity of the World Martial Arts Tournament, it still had captured a lot of attention.

The crowds had flooded into the stadium, and after everyone had taken their seats, the people of this town and others from around the world turned their sights to the ring. Chatting amongst themselves for the time being, they waited for the first challenger to step up onto the ring. A box up on one of the strong, high stands had been particularly set up for the heads of the Four Chambers hosting this martial arts tournament. All of them were waiting patiently, talking and keeping a weather eye out on the ring. Their best fighters representing them have been posted on their side of the ring in the blue corner, seated in the order they would be fighting. The first fighter of the Four Chambers was a muscular, tall guy who was well built and looked real tough. He had a firm built face and black, messy hair that stood up a bit. He wore black shorts and a white singlet with tightly worn shoes to keep his ankles firmly held when fighting, and white straps strung around his wrists. The second guy was a military man from the Republican Army, wearing a Prussian military uniform from 1910 that was mostly blue with red cuffs and golden linings. He also wore a black helmet with a gold eagle welded to it and a golden spike on top of it. He had blonde, thick eyebrows, a beard, goatee and mustache with major sideburns. He held in his left hand a long spear with silver tip point. The third guy was a man with grey hair, mustache and goatee, who wore a white, baggy, long sleeve shirt, grey slacks with brown boots and a brown, flexi wear vest. He also wore brown gloves, one specifically made for his right hand. To finish up his outfit, he held at his side a saber sheathed in a custom made scabbard. And finally, there was a man dressed in traditional style Chinese martial arts gi, which was dark blue with golden linings and a fighting sign on his back. At his side there was a Katana set up along with a Kusarigama. These weapons were propped up respectfully as he sat cross-legged on a stool and meditated. These were the best fighters the Commerce had to offer, and believe this, they looked real mean.

The crowds were all a buzz, and after gazing down at the four masters of the arts, they wondered who would be daring enough to face them. After all, that person would be up against: a Champion Boxer, a Spear fighter, a Fencer and a Master Wushu artist. Everyone was eager to see the matches that would follow. The organized fight was set to be held at mid-day. With the sun arisen to the top of the sky directly above them, they took it as the time to begin. The challenger was already in, and it was time to get this competition underway. The drums finished up with the concluding verse to their beat and with a cheer from the crowd, the announcer came up on stage. In the red corner, the challenger Gohan sat cross-legged and meditating. His eyes were blind folded by a blue face mask with a black handkerchief tied up around his mouth, just so it covered his face. Beside him he had a small round table with one of his special teas brewed up and ready for him. The people paid little attention to him now, but when he got up on stage, he would be in plain sight.

When the announcer came up onto the ring, everyone fell silent. The man wearing black slacks and a stripy-long-sleeved shirt held up a megaphone to his lips and began to speak. _**"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome one and all to the Four Chambers of Commerce National Martial Arts Tournament! Today's contest will be hosting our four champion contestants from the Four Chambers of Commerce, against the self-trained Blind Bandit of Mount Taishan!"**_ the announcer shouted through his megaphone. The crowds cheered wildly at this, adding whistles to their shouts and cries of excitement. The announcer nodded with a smile, gesturing out the four Commerce fighters and Gohan sitting on his side quietly. Everyone was sure excited, but felt a little down about the fact that some blind nobody was fighting. _**"Excellent! Now the rules of this competition are the same as every tournament. No blows below the belt or poking in the eyes! They are strictly forbidden! Furthermore, the outcome is to be determined by the knockout or surrender of either party! Also, if that fighter is knocked out of the ring, then he is immediately disqualified, and therefore loses the match! Any final blows that would be considered lethal by our judges shall also be counted, and if that fighter is unable to block that blow, then he too loses! And so, with these rules, I can now proudly declare this tournament underway!"**_ the announcer cried, receiving a cheer from the crowds. He grinned and came to stand in the centre of the ring, his hand held up high. _**"Our first match will be between the King of Boxing, Peter 'the Sting' Smith, against the Blind Bandit!!!"**_

Immediately after more cheering rang out, the said competitors fighting in the first one came up onto the stage. Gohan was interrupted from his meditation for the start of the fight, and he calmly walked up onto the ring and took his place beside the judge on his side. It was amazing he was able to walk up so fluently onto the stage even though his sight was rendered blank. But there was many other ways he could see. He could feel the ground beneath him, hear the wind rushing and running into walls and/or objects, creating a clear picture in his head, and he could extend his senses out that led his way up onto the ring. He knew where everything and everyone was, and was sure to enjoy this. He left his sword by the table he sat beside, and he continued to wear his mask. As for the boxer he too came up on stage. Smith took his place opposite Gohan, cracking his knuckles and chuckling sinisterly before taking a starting stance all boxers took with his fists held around his waist in front of him. Both contestants stared each other down, with Gohan bringing his right fist to his left hand and bowing low in respect.

* * *

Meanwhile, far off to the areas of Mount Paoz at the Son residence, Chi-Chi was taking a break from her house work to watch the Four Chambers of Commerce fight on T.V. Many years have passed since she was last seen, and a lot of things have changed. She had heard about this test of strength competition, and became quite intrigued. So, arranging some time, she was able to move away from her usual chores around the place and rest up to watch some of her favorite sport. Right about now, she had heard the announcements made, and was readying herself for the fight soon to commence. Chi-Chi especially became quite interested in the young man called the Blind Bandit taking on Peter Smith. She tilted her head towards the screen and raised an eyebrow at the size differences between the two fighters. The boxer was quite tall, while the blind bandit stood to about a head shorter. However, it wasn't the size difference she was interested about. She wanted to see how well the two of them fought. 

Boxers were really well known for their strong punches, especially since they pivoted their whole bodily force into their blows. If the blind bandit practiced any other type of martial arts, then he would have to be weary of those punches. Chi-Chi raised an eyebrow at the blind bandit, finding his outfit quite familiar. However from here, she couldn't tell the difference, so she just watched.

"Hey Goten," the Son mother called out. "Come here and watch this fight on T.V! You can really learn something from these two for your upcoming fight!" Seconds after she had yelled out towards the hallway behind her, she suddenly saw a miniature Goku dressed in traditional style clothes sprint into the lounge and leap onto the couch. With a happy laugh, the enthusiastic and very energetic boy, Goten parked himself and stared at the screen.

"Wow!" he exclaimed. "Who's fighting, mom!? Are they good?! What's happening?!"

Chi-Chi chuckled and ruffled the hair of her youngest son. "Now hold on, they're just getting started. Its Peter Smith fighting against someone called the Blind Bandit…" Goten looked up at her mom, blinking for a moment before looking back at the television. He then smiled brightly and raised a determined fist.

"I bet the Blind Bandit will win! He sounds awesome!" the child shouted happily. Chi-Chi nodded her head after his exciting cheer, and looked back towards the T.V to watch the fight.

* * *

The announcer looked between the two fighters, seeing them taking their stances and readying themselves. With an affirmative nod, the glasses wearing ref. held his hand up between the two and brought it down in a chop, stepping back immediately. 

"Begin!!" he shouted. And with that, the fight was underway.

The boxer held up his hands in a guard and approached, attacking first with quick speed and powerful. Peter opened up with a right straight punch, a left body shot and a right hook. He forced Gohan into retreat, who sensed and heard all his attacks clear as day. He moved his head and body back for the first punch, leapt back slightly from the body shot and maneuvered around the boxer's right hook. He ducked and swiveled under the fight quickly and with great skill, awing the crowds at his speed. He also amazed them at his ability to avoid those attacks because he was supposedly blinded. Peter immediately wheeled around when he saw his opponent avoid those attacks and brought his fists up, seeing his opponent take a caution stance seven meters away from him. The ring wasn't that big, but at least it had enough space for this fight.

With a growl, the boxer went at his opponent again, throwing a quick right punch which his opponent side stepped and then a right hook. Gohan leapt back to avoid that hook, Peter's blows surprisingly coming in quite fast. Taking note of the fighter's power level, he saw that the guy was amazingly strong, stronger then even Master Roshi in his hay day. If he were to narrow the man down to human standards, then he would definitely be a real swing. Gohan took a more caution, prepared fighting stance, shuffling back as his opponent approached, guard still up. He had to find a way in without breaking the guy's arms or doing him serious damage. Thus he moved for quick, agile tactics, using speed to overcome the boxer's power. Once again Smith came in with a driven in right punch, Gohan spinning on his feet and moving to his left to avoid it and backed away quickly, moving around his opponent. At the same time Peter wheeled and sent a left, powerful hook his way, which missed like all the blows. Smith approached him quickly once again, forcing him back and back towards the edge of the ring. He showed no mercy, even to those who were blind. Attacking once more, Peter threw a left body shot, Gohan stepping back to avoid it. He also stepped back from the right punch his opponent threw, and once again maneuvered around another attack when Smith came in with a left, drive jab. Gohan moved and stopped behind Peter, watching him through his senses with his caution stance still up. He was back in the middle of the ring, with Smith turning on his heel to face him.

Growling in frustration at constantly missing his opponent, Smith came in with a yell and threw a left hook. Gohan chose to act now. With speed greater then his opponent's, Gohan skillfully parried the man's hook, knocking his arm and defenses down. The block also staggered Peter, allowing the young Saiyan to attack. Turning to his side, Gohan struck out with back hand strikes, sending blows into the side of Peter's unguarded face. His blows, limited down to human, light capacity, staggered Peter after he threw seven lightning fast attacks to his face with the same attack. The boxer staggered back, knocked senseless by the swift combination. He managed to return to his usual stance, gritting his teeth and growling while glaring up at Gohan. He saw the young Saiyan take a defensive stance, quite surprised by how well the young man was able to fight so well now.

Quickly, Smith came in with more attacks, his resolve as powerful as ever. He drove a right hook down upon his smaller opponent, only for his blow to be blocked. He threw it again, with the attack stopped once more. As he pulled his arm back, he came in with a left punch, with his opponent leaping back in avoidance. Snapping his arm back, Peter leapt at the young Saiyan again and threw another left jab, with Gohan spinning and moving around him. The boxer went past him and spun around again, growling in anger. As the young Saiyan warrior backed away, the boxer approached, sending a quick powerful right hook and then a left hook, both of which Gohan backed away to avoid. He then drove forward with a right punch, this one his opponent avoided again and then a left punch. Gohan parried it to the side, and with the boxer's defense lapsed, the young Saiyan spun into his circle. When he was in, he drove a right hammer strike to his face, brought his arm back and drove it in with a equally strong elbow. He winded the boxer at the fast, powerful blows, reeling over in shock and unable to move. Then, in a quick finish, Gohan moved out of the boxer's defensive circle and spun, leaping into the air and driving a right elbow into the back of Peter's head. The blow knocked him to the ground and out of the fight. It was over.

It was at the end of this fight the crowds stared in shock. Even the T.V crews who were watching the match through the cameras were astounded. Everyone was silenced, the other three competitors watching from the sidelines gawking in amazement. As the blind bandit walked back to his side of the ring, he turned and stopped, watching as his opponent pushed himself up onto his hands and knees and dragged himself off of the ring. Rolling over the side, he stood up, clutching his stomach with his right hand and holding the back of his head with his left. He was really whipped, and when he looked back up onto the ring, he saw his opponent place his right fist into his left hand and bow to him in respect. It was shocking really, he never expected the guy to be so strong.

After a moment, as the boxer staggered back to his seat, the crowds suddenly caught the message and lit up in a series of cheers and applause. It was amazing, one of the greatest fights of skill and strength they had ever seen. The whistled and roared their satisfaction, Gohan bowing to the crowds in kind before taking his place again on the ring, standing still as a statue and listening to the crowds cheer wildly. The announcer came up, looking at Gohan and nodding to him. The young Saiyan sensed this and nodded in return. The ref. held his hand up and made his big call. _**"And the winner is, the Blind Bandit!!!"**_ The crowds around them in the stands cheered and applauded louder then ever, chanting the Blind Bandit's name. The Four heads of the Commerce were astounded. Sitting in their box above the people, they were looking at each other, bewildered and thrown into confusion.

"What's this? What's going on?" one of them asked, all of them looking back onto the ring in shock. "No one has ever beaten Peter 'the sting'…"

Well, that declaration was several minutes short. Everyone was excited now. The next fights were to be grand. As for Chi-Chi and her son Goten who were watching from home, they were surprised as well. Now they were all the more eager to see the next fight. This Blind Bandit fellow had serious skill.

The announcer smiled around at the crowds before he brought his megaphone to his mouth and made his next call. _**"Without further ado, the second match shall be commencing shortly. Here we have the Blind Bandit verses the Royal Knights Coach from the Republican Army, Hans Heinrich!"**_ the announcer shouted. The crowds applauded enthusiastically as the next fighter came up on stage. It was the spearman. Baring the rank of Sergeant, thanks to the three stripes on his arms, he marched up onto the ring with his long weapon and took his place on his side. He stood at attention, nodding as he gazed up towards the crowds around him. When he did, he unbuckled the straps of his helmet and threw it to the side, the protective wear crashing to the ground outside of the ring many meters away. He then took an at ease stance, weapon gripped tightly in his left hand.

Gohan smiled when he sensed his opponent take to the ring, and decided to prepare himself for this match. He turned around and approached his side of the ring. After collecting what he needed from his table, he returned to the ring with a spear of his own, only this one was different to his opponent's. This was a Chinese spear with a red feather tied around the silver spike at the striking end. It was also shorter then Ham's weapon, making it easier to wield. Everyone awed at this and watched him take to his side of the ring once more. Despite being blind, he saw really well. That's what the audience thought.

As soon as he was up, the announcer nodded, looking between the two fighters and seeing them prepped and ready. With a grin, he held his hand up once more and brought it down, shouting. "Begin!!" After that, he quickly scampered off of the ring, leaving the two warriors to fight. The crowds cheered, and at the sounds of their roars of excitement, the two fighters prepared. Hans brought his weapon up and held it down, point bearing upon his opponent standing before him. Gohan also took his weapon up into two hands. He slashed it threw the air, the sound it made being loud swooshes thanks to its flexibility at the make of the point. He held it, both of them dropped into their preferred stances. Then, the fight was on.

Hans attacked with a loud growl, moving forward and thrusting out with his long weapon. Gohan's spear, being shorter then his opponent's, was able to be held and brought about far easier then the other. He easily parried the first blow to the side, then the next, and then the next. The Sergeant drove forward with these thrust strikes, the weapon incredibly fast in his grip. He had skill. But then, after having it parried to the ground thanks to Gohan, he was forced to bring it up in another, longer strike, this one making Gohan moved. The young Saiyan, using his spear to help defend himself, moved out towards his opponent's left side as he drove in with that strike. Missing, Hans followed, slashing out with his spear that connected with the side of Gohan's spear, the blinded fighter blocking it with ease as he moved around to gain more space on the ring rather hen be driven back over the edge. Holding the weapon in two hands, Gohan defended himself from more drive strikes made by the Sergeant, who pressed on.

When he found that his opponent was too close to thrust out at his end, he retracted his weapon and shortened the striking end of the pole. He then slapped his weapon's side at his opponent. The young Saiyan held his spear firmly in his two hands grip, spacing out the centre to allow him to defend himself. He blocked strike after strike coming in at his left side, spinning on the spot to change angle and direction of his parries as they came in one after another. The two sticks slammed against each other, making such a racket above the cheering from the crowds in the background. Backing away, Gohan blocked another slap strike coming in on his right, and held his weapon up to block it. Then, repositioning his hands on his weapon, he threw it out in a long thrust of his own. His opponent did the same, both spears passing each other and heading for their target. The young Saiyan heard the direction of his opponent's spear, and moved to the side a bit to avoid it. Because of the superior length of his opponent's weapon, Gohan knew he was at a disadvantage when it came to these situations, but he was smart enough to avoid getting taken out in the first half. His spear didn't reach his opponent's chest either, which became a problem. With both weapon's held in those positions, the two fighters glared at each other.

Gohan looked up, hearing his opponent bring his weapon back. Hans gripped his spear in two hands and brought it up, striking down with it at his opponent. Gohan leapt out of the way, cart-wheeling through the air with his weapon held in his hand and landing in a defensive stance, just as the soldier he was fighting brought his spear back into a proper grip and position. The young Saiyan moved around, with Hans bringing his spear back and sending it in a slash movement through the air at his opponent. Gohan reared back, bending at a 90 degree angle as Han's weapon came at him. Following through, Gohan back flipped and landed quickly in the same stance as before. The crowds were amazed. As soon as Gohan was back up, his opponent was already attacking. Gohan blocked another thrust strike, and then another, batting his opponent's spear away, as well as backing off at the same time. Hans approached, thrusting out with powerful strikes with his weapon that could punch a clean hole through an ordinary person. Having backed off enough, Gohan parried the strikes coming at him, changing angles with his weapon with every thrust and forward drive. His opponent's weapon didn't land a single blow, as every thrust was parried away by Gohan's skillful, agile and quick defensive parries. The young Saiyan's reflexes remained sharp, but this was all too easy for him.

After blocking a couple more strikes, Gohan sensed yet another long parry attack and decided to take quick action. He ducked and rolled forward, coming up close to his opponent. So close in fact, that Hans' weapon was still extended when Gohan attacked. Kneeling right in front of his opponent, the young Saiyan brought his spear about and began slamming the side of it into his opponent's stomach and chest, staggering the Sergeant and driving him back as he struck away. After several more bats and groans of pain, Hans managed to retract his spear, and with his opponent in sight, took his weapon and thrusted his spear down at him. Gohan backed away and got to his feet, just as the spear was driven into the surface of the ring. It was embedded, but not deep enough to keep it stuck. The soldier yanked it out, and gripping it in two hands, drove out with its side. Gohan brought it up in defense, their sticks colliding. Because Gohan was the stronger, Hans was sent staggering back, while he faked it and backed away on his own, repositioning his weapon. His opponent did too. The Sergeant came in with a quick drive thrust with his weapon, with the young Saiyan batting it away with a quick slap to its side. Then length ensured its drive away.

Becoming ever more frustrated, the soldier brought his spear back and backed away. Then, with a yell, and his spear held up, he charged. Gohan immediately spotted a weakness in this full on attack and leapt high into the air. Holding his spear below him as he fell, Gohan sent his opponent's spear into the ground, and landed with it between his legs, but still struck down. With his opponent's grip on his weapon knocked a bit out of proportion, Gohan attacked. He slammed the side of his weapon continuously into his opponent's unguarded chest, winding him and bruising him badly. As he struck away, Hans repositions his grip, strengthening it and bringing his spear up. Gohan defended, moving from his attack and bringing his spear underneath him to stop it from driving into his privates. He leapt into the air the same time as the soldier's weapon was sent upwards. The young Saiyan leapt right over his opponent, taking control of his jump. As he flipped, Gohan slapped the side of his spear into his opponent's back, receiving a yell of pain in return as Hans staggered forward.

Gohan landed on the other side, turning around with his weapon held easily in his grip. He stared in the direction his opponent was, brandished his spear, and heard the soldier turn around. The young Saiyan could sense how frustrated Hans really was, and after hearing a growl, sensed him charge, driving his spear forward. Gohan slapped it to the side with his weapon and, bringing his sword up, struck down at Hans' head. The Sergeant was able to raise his spear, part his grip and block the strike, which was surprisingly quite strong. But because of the smaller size of Gohan's weapon, he was able to bring it down and attack at the opening Hans had left in his slow defense. The young Saiyan slashed at his clothes, slicing them up with the sharp end of his spear, driving the soldier back. A few seconds later, Hans staggered towards the side of the ring and glanced down at his formal army uniform. He saw that it was all cut up now, all thanks to his blind opponent.

After inspecting the damages, he growled and took up his spear in both hands. With an angry yell, he broke it in half with his knee, and rushed forward, charging at the young Saiyan. Out of pure rage and frustration, he thrust out with his weapon, striking at Gohan with his shortened spear. After quick parries of the strikes, Gohan saw his chance to attack and finish this fight, now that his opponent had exhausted himself from effort. Ducking under his opponent's over done drive strike, Gohan moved under the spear and came up to his opponent's left, slamming his spear into Hans' stomach. The soldier's anger fell, replaced by shock as the blow winded him, resulting in him reeling forward and groan in agony. Moving his spear out and bringing it up, Gohan struck his opponent's back with it, making him stagger forward and throw himself back. Hans gripped the area he was struck, yelling in agony before he was tripped. Gohan spun around and struck out with the long end of his weapon at the back of Hans' legs. The very force and movement toppled the soldier, throwing the Sergeant into the air as he fell back. Gohan finished off by quickly bringing his weapon up and bringing it down on his opponent, throwing him into the ground and causing him to release his weapon on impact with the surface of the ring. It ended with the point of Gohan's spear being pointed at Hans' neck, the Sergeant panting as he gazed up fearfully at the Blind Bandit. The young Saiyan stared down at his opponent, with his weapon still thrust threateningly at him and his victory easily assured.

The crowds cheered and applauded the Blind Bandit, the judges concurring that he was the victor. They all whistled and shouted their praises.

"Yeah! Go Blind Bandit, Go!" a young teenager shouted from the stands.

"You see, he plowed through that guy easily! Way to go!" another cried.

They were easily amused.

Just then the announcer came up onto the stage, standing between the two and raising his hand with a grin. _**"The winner is, the Blind Bandit!"**_ he exclaimed. Gohan nodded and removed the weapon, holding it in his left hand and watching Han stagger to his feet, gripping his front from the pain of the last blow. The Sergeant glared angrily at the young Saiyan and moved at him, as if wanting to bring him down. But he stopped, pulling himself back since he knew it was in real bad taste to attack him. Gohan put his right fist in his left hand and bowed to him, showing his respect to him.

"You fought well, thank you," he exclaimed. The Sergeant just spat and growled, moving off of the ring to join his friends at the sidelines. Gohan just smiled. He understood, since the guy hadn't lost a fight before. He sighed and then moved off of the ring under the sound of applause. He placed his weapon to the side and grabbed a new one he had reserved for the third round. The young Saiyan returned to the ring a moment later with a Jian, a weapon most commonly known as a light sword.

As the T.V cameras continued to roll, those who were watching from their homes were dumbstruck. Never have they seen a man tackle on a boxer and spear fighter, and still be able to fight. They saw how well the blind bandit character was doing, and were absolutely amazed. Chi-Chi and Goten were also quite surprised. They stared at the screen, watching as the self-trained fighter took to the stage again with a sword sheathed at his side. When he took his place on the ring again, Goten grinned and held up a fist, looking very excited now.

"Wow, the guy is amazing!" Goten exclaimed. Chi-Chi smiled and nodded, not taking her eyes off of the T.V for a second.

"Yeah, he's doing really well…" she replied.

Back on at the stadium, the competition was still going on, just like Gohan. Having not even broken a sweat, he was doing really well. The guys were proving easy to him and were no challenge. However, they all had great skill, and the young Saiyan was quickly learning from them and how they worked. He was also getting his ring side experience back. With his place reaffirmed on the ring, Gohan listened and waited for the next fighter. The announcer nodded to him and then turned to the rest of the crowds, holding up a hand to draw a little silence and more attention.

"_**For the third round ladies and gentlemen, we have World Fencing Champion, Anthony, against the raining Blind Bandit! Let's bring them up!"**_ the announcer exclaimed. It was then when the man with the saber came up onto the stage, his sword unsheathed and held firmly in his right hand. He took his place opposite of the young Saiyan, and was now also under the eyes of the surrounding crowds. They all cheered and whistled, urging the two on for a good fight. The heads of the Four Chambers of Commerce were watching silently, all of them nervous about this next fight, while the other three fighters on the sidelines watched. Those who had lost were aware that this match wasn't going to be easy, and the only one left to not have faced the Blind Bandit yet was having his doubts about winning too.

As soon as the two fighters were facing each other, the announcer nodded to the both of them, holding his hand up between them. In preparation, the fencer took his stance; knees bent slightly and right foot forward. His hand was pulled back behind him whilst his sword's blade was held up a little, but its point remained aimed at the ground. Gohan responded by bringing his sword about from its sheath, drawing it and holding it up firmly. He took his symbolic sword fighting stance, with his weapon held in his right hand and blade tip pointed towards his opponent and left hand held up to his face with index and middle finger extended, also pointed in the direction of his opponent. The ref. then brought his hand down, calling the start. "Begin!!!"

The fencer attacked first like all the others, not missing out a chance to try and catch his opponent off guard. Gohan was ready. His sword parried the thrust attacks and the two then became locked in an amazing duel that was sure to impress people. Their blades swirled around, parrying at each other as they both tried to gain the upper hand. Using all the skill he could muster, Anthony tried to find weak points in the Blind Bandit's defense and batted his opponent's sword away, thrusting forward it his own. Gohan backed away at parried the attack with his own defense, and quickly came in, slashing his sword out at his opponent with his right side forward. His opponent backed down, parrying with his own style of sword fighting. Both blades clanged together loudly, their speed making it hard to see how well their technique was. Anthony was driven back, but then drove forward after several more parries and slashed out, bringing his attack round in overhead strikes and diagonal strikes. Gohan was driven back, but easily defended. His blade was put into an awkward position on one block and so he spun around, blocking another thrust strike with a backwards parry before turning round to face his opponent. The surprising maneuver drove his opponent back, and Gohan pressed on easily. He slashed out, batting his opponent's weapon aside and threatening to move in for the kill.

But Anthony, quick as ever, leapt back and raised his sword, pointing the tip of his blade at his lightning fast opponent. Gohan dropped into his prepared, symbolic stance as well, looking the fencer down calmly. Anthony panted from the effort he had already applied, and brought his sword to him in defense, his eyes never leaving his opponent. The Blind Bandit remained as he was, still staring at the fencer calmly. Well, not exactly staring, but seemingly keeping his senses fully open, and concentration at its best. Then, with a yell, the fencer drove forward and attacked, slashing out with his weapon. His blade came in fast and hard, forcing Gohan back. The young Saiyan parried the strikes, his blade clashing with his opponent's and clanging loudly with every parry he made as he backed away. Then, as he recounted his assault, Gohan moved in with his attacks, slashing out with speed greater then that of his opponent's. Anthony was easily staggered as he tried to drive his opponent back, countering after each parry with a strike or a thrust. Gohan however was too fast for him and was easily able to counter immediately after parrying. He drove forward, the two suddenly engaged in a dead lock. Their blades whirled through the air, striking each other whilst trying to land on the other.

Moving to the centre of the ring, the two of them circled, still locked in engagement and in attack. They constantly moved from offensive tactics to defensive tactics. Through Anthony's continuous assaults using his style from what he had learned; Gohan used his own, unorthodox fighting styles in Wushu. His light sword easily matched the saber, but his skill, speed and knowledge of this type of fighting dwarfed that of his opponent's. They fought on fiercely, still circling in a clockwise motion and attacking each other constantly. Here they both tried to drive the other back, but to no avail. The crowds cheered and clapped, urging them both on. Both Anthony and the Blind Bandit were giving them a good show. After trying to bring his opponent into defense, Anthony came in with a series of slashes and drive thrusts, only for his opponent to parry them and retaliate. The fencer was driven back, but quickly brought his sword back and struck out using this to try and drive Gohan back. But instead, the young Saiyan leapt into the air at him, jumping clear of the blade and bringing his own sword down in a quick slash. The precision of the attack was incredible, slicing straight across the protective vest Anthony wore. With a yell of shock, the master fencer backed away as Gohan landed. In a display of style and threatening motions, the young Saiyan dropped into another fighting stance, glaring his opponent down calmly.

Anthony growled through his bared teeth and dropped into another stance, this one noted to disarm instead of attempting to strike to win. Gohan attacked this time, sensing a growing advantage. Anthony defended himself, blocking the first incoming attacking before slashing out, driving his opponent back and retaliating with a renewed assault, slashing out and thrusted out quickly. This managed to drive Gohan back momentarily before he came in with a counter assault, slashing out with amazing flurries of attacks. The fencer was put up against the ropes, but managed to come back with a parry that batted Gohan's blade away. The young Saiyan easily returned to a fighting stance, his opponent dropping back. The two of them circled each other for a moment, staring each other down. Then, after a few seconds and a circle around the ring had been drawn, Anthony came in with an attack, lashing out furiously. As he pressed on, the fencer slowly began exhausting himself, losing his concentration as the fight carried on.

Amidst the clashing blades, Gohan sensed his opponent's lapse in focus, and sensed his exhaustion growing. It was then when he countered the assault with his own, slashing out his sword. Their blades flashed through the air, connecting in parries and thrusts. The fighting continued with the two of them always keeping in motion as they circled each other, locking blades. After a failed drive assault made by Anthony, Gohan pressed on with one of his own, batting away his blade and thrusting forward in attack. The fencer found it difficult now to repel the Blind Bandit's assaults and was forced to retreat. The two of them stopped momentarily again and circled, eyeing each other. Gohan retained his fighting stance, repeating it as it was accustomed to this type of combat. Anthony, now growing frustrated, attacked out of fear, slashing out, only to be repelled by a hard parry. The young Saiyan spun and came in with a backwards, overhead slash the fencer managed to leap back from barely before he came in with another assault, Gohan easily countering it with his own and driving his opponent back.

As Anthony drove in a thrust, Gohan wove his sword around and slapped the back of his wrist with the side of his blade, knocking his opponent's attack off target. With that, the young Saiyan then brought his sword about and slashed down at the fencer's head. Anthony raised his other gloved hand and blocked that with his arm, thankful for the wrist guard he had strapped on. He then thrust out with his sword, Gohan blocking it and pushing forward, forcing his opponent to back off. The fencer continued slashing out, only for the Blind Bandit to easily rub of every attack he initiated, exhausting him. It was then as the young Saiyan attacked Anthony backed down. He tried his best to fight him off, but to no avail. Gohan saw the problem with one of his defensive tactics to be able to block with the guard on his non-sword fighting arm, and decided to dispose of it. He drove Anthony into a false sense of security with a downward strike and a wove under strike, knocking the fencer off balance. It was when his free hand was thrown forward Gohan slid the blade of his sword underneath the straps and pulled up, slicing the special arm protector off. Anthony was shocked by this swift move and backed away before coming in with a desperate assault to wade him off. Gohan was relentless now. He blocked and parried every thrust and slash, knocked the incoming blade away before finally ending it.

As the champion fencer came in with another drive thrust, Gohan ducked down and spun, bringing his sword up and stabbing up at his arm. His intention however was not to slice of his arm, but to get the blade in through a certain point, the handle guard. This guard was a particular target in his sights as it connected with the pommel at the base of the handle. His blade was easily able to slide into it, and when it was in place, Gohan stood up, at the same time, slacking the sword out of his opponent's grip and disarming him. Anthony let out a yell of surprise when his weapon was ripped from his hand and stepped back. The fencer panted heavily as he saw the Blind Bandit point the sword directly up at his face. It was from then he and the audience knew it was all over, and it all ended in a loud uproar of cheers, shouts, whistles and applause. The people were truly amazed.

With three champions down, Gohan was well on his way to a four-point victory. After the announcer saw Anthony had lost, he immediately clambered up onto the small ring. In the meantime, Gohan slid the fencer's sword off of his own and handed it over to him handle first. The fencer took it, a little flustered but all the same respectful, more overly then the others. He bowed to Gohan, to which he bowed back with his right fist in his left palm. Then the two of them parted, Anthony returning to his seat and Gohan making his way to his own. They both took seats at the same time, and for that one moment, Gohan undid the black mask covering his mouth and lowered it so he could have a drink. His tea was still hot, and that's how he wanted it. Taking a long sip, he lowered it a second later and sighed, looking out towards the other side of the ring where his last competitor remained.

The Wushu Master continued to sit cross-legged where he was, eyeing Gohan as the other three beside him went into discussion. He was a bald fighter with blue eyes, and was looking really serious. His gaze went on unhindered as the others talked. As for his comrade, Anthony was exhausted, and was having a drink of his own.

"Ahh…that lad is really good," the fencer stated, shaking his head and wiping his brow. "I don't understand how this one man can beat us! And it looks like he hasn't even broken a sweat yet! He shouldn't even have made it past the first round!"

The martial artist beside him sighed, eyes flashing. "That's because he's always calm, and knows how to use his senses to the best of his abilities," he stated, drawing the other fighters' attention towards him. He lowered his head, closing his eyes. "He exploits your weaknesses in your forms. His fighting style in perfect in every aspect…I've watched him. Not even I possess his kind of skill…"

Hans growled and glared across at him. "You've got to be joking!" he hissed. "You're the best at what you can do! There is no way you can lose!" The fighter he was addressing shook his head.

"I'm afraid to say this, but I think I will…he's too strong, too fast and reacts on instinct! It's as if fighting occurs naturally to him," the martial artist replied, turning to them with his hardened stare. He looked a bit nervous in his eyes. "Unlike you…he must have been doing this his entire life…"

Peter and Hans groaned and shook their heads, looking away in an effort to ignore their friend's dribble. Anthony however continued listening on intently. He looked at the bald fighter, giving him his utmost attention. "So, you're saying that he's probably even better then the Great Hercule?"

The martial artist looked back to the ring, breathing in deeply and then out. "Yes…" Anthony blinked at this, surprised. "After watching him fight, I could see he wasn't even trying, and that's not even looking at his expression. His show of strength, speed and skill up to this moment has led me to a suitable conclusion that he's even better then Mr. Satan himself. I've never seen a blind fighter fight like this…unless he's not really blind. If so, he's blindfolded himself for the fight to cover his true identity, and that his senses are far sharper then our own…"

Anthony nodded in understanding. "And that's a possibility…" His friend nodded back, keeping silent from here on in.

After a one minute break, the announcer, who has been up on the ring for all that time smiled to the crowds and raised his megaphone. _**"Ladies and gentlemen, we now come to the final round of today's tournament. The Four Nations of Commerce last fighter, World Champion runner up martial artist next to Videl Satan, Master Shao, against the Blind Bandit!!!"**_ the commentator called. It was at this the crowds let out their loudest cheer yet, applauding the fighters as they took to the ring. The announcer grinned, raising his hand as a further note. _**"This last competition shall test the fighters in terms of Wushu weapons handling and actual close quarter combat skill in the fist!"**_ the announcer stated, holding up his left fist as a stated example. _**"Whoever wins will be titled champion of this tournament!!!"**_

As the crowds cheered more, both Gohan and his opponent Master Shao took their places opposite each other on either side of the announcer. They stared at each other, well, except Gohan who was blind sighted. However, he knew his opponent was staring back at him, and acted normally. When they took their positions, the two of them bowed to each other. Shao just bowed low with his arms at his sides, whilst Gohan bowed with his right fist in his left hand…his symbolic bow. When the two looked up, they backed away, reaching for their weapons held in their respective sheaths around them. The announcer watched them draw their weapons, and reassured them of the terms of this match.

"_**Aside from the other battles, both fighters shall use their respective sword's they use in the art of Wushu. Their weapons may be custom, and will relate to the styles of their choice!"**_ he stated.

Master Shao brought his sword about from his side, the Katana gleaming brightly under the light of the sun. He held it out, keeping it suspended there before bringing it forward and gripping the weapon in two hands. Taking a shoulder width stance, left foot held forward, the bald fighter glared his opponent down. Gohan however, decided to make this a little more interesting using a familiar blade everyone was sure to be shocked about. As soon as he drew his sword and held it up, there was a flash of light as his blade suddenly doubled in size and became a match for his choice of arts. When he brought his sword down to his side, it was seen that he now wore a brown, leather glove with straps leading up his arm to a spiky, black pauldron. But beyond that, held high above his head, was his well known Buster Blade sword. However, this time the weapon was wrapped in gauze as a loose protective covering to prevent scratches or too serious damage. When his weapon was produced, he lowered it down to his height before propping it to his shoulder.

Upon seeing his choice of weapon drawn, Shao gasped, staring wide eyed in disbelief. The commentator, as well as the crowds was also shocked. The size of the sword was incredible, and though it wasn't against the rules, it was an awesomely terrifying sight. No one had ever seen such a weapon of that kind of caliber, except when that mysterious golden haired boy fought Cell at the games. However, those memories never came into mind, and so the audience just gawked.

The master gritted his teeth and took a firmer stance, backing down a little away from his opponent. But then, as it would turn out, he was to discover that there was no other way to weave out of this. As soon as the silence had reached its peak, the announcer standing between the two fighters brought his hand up and then brought it down, shouting, "BEGIN!!!" then he scampered off.

Immediately after announcing the beginning of the fight, Master Shao attacked, with Gohan still retaining his stance. With a loud battle roar, the master charged at him, sword held up and brought back in an overhead strike. He leapt at the Blind Bandit, bringing his sword down in a slash. Gohan side stepped easily, listening to the blade pass him. Shao brought it up again and slashed at him again, Gohan once again moving to the other side and easily shifting away from his attack. When the martial arts master began using different tactics, he slashed out at Gohan, who moved his sword off of his shoulder and held it in front of him, blade pointed down and handle held high. Shao's blade struck the young Saiyan's, going across and sending sparks. Sounds of blades clashing became apparent as the two of them became locked in an intense battle. Shao attacked relentlessly, bringing his blade around continuously and slashing at his opponent with blows, sending them in one after another. The young Saiyan in his sights backed away slowly, moving his own blade into impossible angles to block the attacks sent at him. They were impossible parries since his sword was so huge. But then, after a moment or so, Gohan moved into the attack and, after blocking an over head strike, he sent a right side kick at his opponent's unguarded chest, knocking him back lightly before bringing his sword about and spinning it in his one hand. He then brought it back around and slashed out at his opponent, who ducked the massive blade and got up, backing away while dropped in a defensive stance. Gohan approached him, and slashed out at him against with a upward, diagonal attack, which his opponent spun around while moving to the side to avoid. It was after that Gohan brought his sword back down in a similar strike, to which his opponent leapt to the side to avoid once again. Then, Gohan slashed across, forcing his opponent to duck again.

Leaping away from the advancing Blind Bandit, the master warrior gripped his weapon tightly and took a threatening attack stance. Glaring his opponent down, he rushed at him in a charge, yelling at the top of his lungs and slashing out at him. An upward strike was had, Gohan easily avoiding it by backing away and pivoting on the spot. His opponent attacked again, bringing his weapon in a downward strike. Gohan leapt back, brandishing his sword up and thrusting out with it. Shao avoided the stab just barely, as it ripped his gi in one place before it was pulled back in. As he pulled his weapon in, Gohan spun around on the spot and struck out in a powerful slash through the air, which Shao immediately blocked. His katana's blade clashed with Gohan's Buster blade, and there, the two locked. The two handed sword fought against the massive, one handed sword, with both fighters adding pressure on little by little. When Shao pushed all his strength into his grapple, and found that it was no good, he pushed off and leapt back, repositioning his stance to attack once more. Gohan brought his sword back to him, raising it and slashing out to the side. Without wasting another second, Shao charged with a warrior's cry, leaping into the air and raising his sword. In a loud cry, he brought his sword down on Gohan's who raised his sword up and blocked the strike. More sparks flew at the block, and when his opponent returned to the ground, Shao spun on the spot and sent a backwards round house kick with his left leg. Gohan ducked that and came up with a power stab, which Shao had to maneuver to the side to avoid. When he did, he brought his sword down on Gohan's head, but the young Saiyan was too quick form him and rolled forward, using the drive and momentum from his strike to his advantage. He avoided that strike easily, and when he did, he got to his feet and spun around, sword still held in that one hand. Shao returned his attack stance with his own, and with a huff of air, he let out a yell and charged.

He slashed out at Gohan's head, which he ducked. The master then brought his blade down upon the warrior in a overhead, downwardly strike, his blade striking the ground when he missed his target. The Blind Bandit avoided the strike by moving to the side, smiling all the while as he felt his opponent give it his all. Following Gohan, who had moved to his right, Shao pivoted in his direction and sent his sword across in a lightning fast slash aimed for his head. But Gohan easily brought up his sword's blade and blocked it, pushing it away. At that push, Shao used the directional momentum to spin on the spot and spin around quickly; striking at Gohan's other side. The young Saiyan spun his sword about, moving it to his other side and blocking that blow. When he did, he grabbed Shao's wrist and pulled, driving his knee forward into the master's gut. The blow connected, and the master was winded. After that, Gohan pushed him away, staggering him. Shao recovered after being pushed back, and after catching his breath, he brought his sword back up and returned to a new stance. The young Saiyan also took the stance he used for this sword, propping it on the pauldron on his shoulder and moving his right side forward, feet set at shoulder width apart. It was when he assumed this stance did Shao use the opportunity to attack.

He charged, reaching his opponent seconds later and spinning around, driving the tip of his sword forward. Gohan side stepped, bringing his weapon up and down on the master's sword. His weapon struck it and pinned it to the ground, the strength he applied not enough to break it but enough to keep it in place. Shao growled and tried to remove it, but couldn't, and so turned his attention to his opponent. Releasing his sword from one hand, he punched at with a left hook. Gohan heard it, and moved his head back, easily avoiding it. But the master kept it up, and sent a couple more punches but all of which missed or were blocked by Gohan's right hand. Shao sent another jab at him, but got his hand grabbed. There, the young Saiyan twisted it, more overly spraining his wrist. The martial artist let out a cry of pain when he felt his hand break. Gohan didn't stop there. The young warrior then brought up his right leg and drove a side kick into his side while still holding onto the master's wrist, hitting hard and applying pressure onto the blow. Another crack sounded, the crowds wincing at that when they heard Shao cry in agony once more. It was then Gohan brought his leg back and then kicked at the man's face, hitting him once then releasing his wrist. A second later, Gohan lifted his sword, allowing Shao to escape. The master staggered back, the pain from the attacks his opponent had made ringing in his ears and burning in his wrist. Shaking his injured hand, he fixed it up before assuming another stance. Gohan took his stance again and walked about, eyes torn away from the direction his opponent was in. He didn't need to see anyway, he could easily hear him.

Catching his breath, Shao then attacked again. Coming in with his sword held up in both hands, he brought it down upon his opponent in a series of slashes and lightning fast attacks. His sword struck out, but only came in contact with air as the young Saiyan backed away slowly and avoided each and every blow, ducking every now and then when he came in with a head chopping slash. But after a few seconds of subduing to being attacked, Gohan then dropped and sent a right roundhouse kick at his opponent's legs, knocking the back of his left leg. The master lost balance and stumbled a bit. Gohan then dropped to the ground, his sword embedded in the ground just to help him up when he needed to. When he dropped down, he slipped his legs between his opponent's and began scissor kicking out at them, widening Shao's stance and further knocking him off balance. It was then the young Saiyan quickly leapt back to his feet and sent a right side kick into his opponent's chest, knocking him to the ground. Following up after downing the master, Gohan brought his sword up and brought the point of his blade down in a downward strike. He intended to end this, but Shao, quicker then he expected, back flipped out of the way. Gohan's sword ended up striking the ground hard, cracking it from the force of his blow.

After getting back to his feet, Shao took another attack stance eyeing his opponent who brought his sword out of the ground and up, dropping into a different stance to his last. After getting up, Shao charged with a yell, thrusting out with his weapon and beginning to strike out. With amazing speeds, Gohan blocked every blow coming at him, swords clashing and clanging loudly. Shao growled louder as he slashed at Gohan's sides, who blocked those attacks easily when moving his sword about left and right, then blocked an overhead strike. His opponent was the one this time to send a roundhouse right kick at his left leg. Unfortunately, the young Saiyan's leg was like bed rock, it didn't move, thus his attack was rendered ineffective. After that attack failed, Gohan pushed up and threw the master off of him, Shao staggering back. A second later, Shao managed to regain his balance, and when he did, he rushed forward, attacking wildly. His blade once again lashed out at Gohan's who blocked the first few but then began avoiding the next ones, moving from side to side and ducking the attacks easily as he backed away.

Shao leapt back after Gohan threw him off and thrust his sword at him. The master easily avoided it, and when he did, he leapt at Gohan, flipping through the air and bringing his sword down in a strike. The young Saiyan stepped back to avoid it before spinning on the spot and slashing out with his weapon. His opponent ducked it and then brought his sword up in a head slash strike. The young Saiyan avoided it the same way, and then he struck out in a slash strike to his side, which he blocked. Their blades locked and grinded against each other, but after that, they both pushed away from each other, Gohan and Shao moving back to more respectful positions. It was after their quick retreat, the Blind Bandit performed and back flip, and after landing some ways away, he crouched low and jumped soaring through the air and coming back down at his opponent, sword held up and ready to attack. Shao gasped when he saw the blind fighter flying at him, and when he did he stepped to the left, avoiding the blade that came straight down at him. When he did, Gohan's massive sword struck the ground, cracking it and splitting the ring practically. Everyone watching was shocked at the power displayed. It was then after, the young Saiyan brought his sword up and out of the ground and slashed out at his opponent, but he wasn't actually aiming for the martial arts master.

As Shao brought his sword up to block the incoming slash, Gohan's blade suddenly sliced straight through his katana, slicing it cleanly in two. The half Shao held remained, whilst the other half twirled through the air and landed out of bounds. The master martial artist backed away, looking at his stub of a weapon now whilst the young Saiyan stood where he was, sword still held. Seeing his opponent at a now disadvantage, Gohan decided to make things a little easier for him. He spun his sword in his hand and sheathed it, the weapon transforming back into the Spirit Blade when it was put away. After which, the young warrior dropped into his Mystic Dragon fighting stance, senses open up and focused solemnly on his opponent.

Master Shao looked down at his sword for a moment. Then, seeing it beyond his use now, he sighed and tossed it aside. When he did, he immediately took a fighting stance of his own, eyes focusing on the Blind Bandit. Then, they glared each other down, savoring this time to take in the stances they both had. Shao's eyes took in the young Saiyan's from head to toe, trying to seek out a weakness. Unfortunately, he had none. Gohan was able to see his opponent's stance clear, and detect the weaknesses one at a time. First there was position of legs and arms, and then there was the weight he focused around him and strength in his body. Through these, he could deduce his movements and attacks without a second glance.

Moments after the two had assumed their stances, they both attacked. They rushed at each other at once, locking hands at the centre and sending flurries of attacks. Every blow was countered and parried, leaving way to a new fight. Their stances changed constantly as they attacked one another, fists and attacks flying at an amazingly high rate. The audience cheered wildly, watching the two of them fight it all out. Shao yelled with every blow he sent, but had no effect. No matter what he did, all his attacks were blocked. The same went for Gohan, only he remained silent and his attacks were held back to prevent serious injury. The two of them first started off with combinations of punches, two blows in particular knocking them both back, the young Saiyan warrior faking his.

After stepping back, Gohan took a new stance, right hand held out and left hand held back, all fingers extended. Shao assumed his attack stance, and crossing his arms over his face, he charged forward. He dropped his defense and began lashing out at his opponent with powerful, fast blows that would make even Hercule think twice about what he was up against. All his attacks were swiftly parried and blocked by Gohan's defenses, his hands moving faster then Shao counted on. But after blocking a series of blows, the young Saiyan took action, grabbing his opponent's left jab by the wrist and pulling him forward. Using his momentum, the young Saiyan pulled him over and threw him over him. The master was able to utilize the energy of the throw and took control of it, crossing his arms over him and spinning. He landed a second later, after which he spun around to meet his opponent. Shao lashed out with new attacks, missing his target as he quickly moved from side to side, avoiding the blows. It was then, the young Saiyan attacked back, throwing combinations that made Shao reel back in shock.

The assault gave Gohan an edge. After batting down his defense with a guard break elbow, the young Saiyan spun around, pivoting and sending a backwards axe kick with his right leg down on Shao. The master of martial arts was struck clean across the neck, staggering him back from the blow. The young Saiyan managed to land easily, and dropped into his tiger claw stance. His concentration was refocused, and as soon as he was dropped in that stance, he attacked. Shao had just enough time to defend from the first blows which were palm strikes, moving back from the slash strikes before blocking various hooks and other blows. His arms, exhausted now, were then battered down and Gohan dropped, sending a right palm strike to his chest. Shao staggered back, winded. Shaking his head, the master looked up, seeing his opponent standing their calmly and in full control. As he recovered, he gripped his chest and rubbed it, the last bow still throbbing where he was struck. Then, in a blink of an eye, the Blind Bandit ended it.

Rushing forward, Gohan spun round, his arms wheeling through the air at a lightning fast speed. Then, after leaping over to his opponent, he brought his right palm straight down onto Shao's head, stopping just short of actually striking him. The master panted in shock, eyes wide as he gazed up at the young Saiyan's palm just centimeters away. The stopped blow was so strong the martial artist felt the wind and force graze his forehead. It was shocking and terrifying, he came so close to actually getting killed. Everyone was silenced at the sight, gaping with wide eyes. They all saw what had happened and what would have happened if the young warrior had continued on with his final attack. It was right then and there, the judges took immediate note, surprised as well by the speed the fighter had used to end this without inflicting any serious damage.

It was over…

Then, as the realization dawned on all those present at the ring, applause started up. This was followed by waves of cheers, shouts and whistles of congratulations. Soon, within seconds from when it began, the entire town broke out in this show of satisfaction of the fight. They were amazed and they were wowed. The whole fight was one to be seen, and it was all captured on camera. The cheering echoed throughout the stadium as they applauded the new champion, the Blind Bandit. Gohan smiled under his mask, removing his hand from over Shao's head and standing up to full height. His opponent had the time to recover from his shock, and after revealing in the sweet breath of living, the martial arts master smiled at his blind opponent and bowed to him in respect. Gohan bowed back, right fist in left palm. It was all in good sport and fun, and he never felt better.

After bowing to each other, Shao left the arena, and rejoined the other fighters of the Commerce sitting on the sidelines. Amazingly enough, the other fighters were also applauding; amazed at the fight and personally sending their congratulations towards the victor. The heads of the Four Chambers of Commerce however were still dumbstruck till a couple of them had the decency to clap for the blind fighter.

As the rains of cheering, applauding and whistles came down upon Gohan the young Saiyan raised his right fist and shook it in the air in triumph. He remained silent throughout this action, and after he lowered his fist, he was joined by the announcer. The ref. himself was applauding Gohan as he approached with a satisfied grin on his face. He hadn't really taken any side, but was thoroughly impressed at what he had witnessed. The announcer was soon joined by the judges and by the four heads of Commerce coming down from their viewer's box. When they came to stand on the ring beside the winner, the announcer began to speak.

"_**Congratulations Blind Bandit! You won! You won!"**_ the announcer exclaimed, holding his hands up above him in his cheers. Gohan just stared at him through his blindfold; ears open to hear what he had to say. _**"And because of your victory, not only are you now deemed the greatest martial artist in the world next to Mr. Satan and his daughter, but you have also won the bonus 100,000,000 Zenie prize money, courtesy of the Four Chambers of Commerce League!"**_ Everyone was flabbergasted, and amazed at the amount of money the fighter had won, but cheered none the less. The heads of Commerce just nodded, presenting Gohan with his prize check. The young Saiyan took it, surprised beyond belief. He definitely didn't expect such a prize; in fact…he didn't expect a prize at all. He was just in it for the experience in the ring.

The announcer grinned at him and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a congratulatory good luck squeeze. The warrior looked in his direction, even though he couldn't see him. _**"Congratulations again! And…do you have anything to say to your new fans?"**_ he asked, holding a microphone to him. The young Saiyan looked around, hearing the cheering die down a bit as everyone listened in. It was then, after a moment of waiting, Gohan turned back and as anticipated, spoke up.

"Well…I'd…just like to say…thank you," the young Saiyan said. "And…and I'd also like to say, '_Pure strength…tested…tried…but can never be determined…as long as one finds that strength within himself. _It's a quote I have lived by ever since I began martial arts, and has helped me find strength in myself to carry on, no matter how impossible a situation was."

The crowds, having listened to what he had said, gave a loud cheer to this and applauded him once more. The announcer nodded his head, impressed and smiled at the victor, giving him a pat on the back.

"_**Well, that would sure inspire a lot of people who would want to follow your path! Great job champion…great job…"**_

* * *

Back at Mount Paoz, Chi-Chi and Goten, who were still watching the screen, heard what the Blind Bandit had said, as well as the end of his last fight. They stared in amazement at first, but after the feeling of surprise had died, they both smiled. Chi-Chi switched off the T.V and sighed, leaning back into the couch and looked at Goten sitting beside her. The chibi grinned, his excitement renewed. 

"That was awesome mom!" he exclaimed. Chi-Chi nodded affirmatively to him, eyes sparkling.

"I know Goten. That Blind Bandit was amazing," she said, before looking back to the T.V with a determined expression in play. "And I must say he's really lucky to have won that prize money. It just amazes me that some people can have that much…guess it was a good day for him…"

Goten, after hearing the last words from his mother, smiled and then scampered off to tell his dad what had happened. If he didn't know any better, his father was training outside, readying himself for the tournament two months away. He left his mother alone in the lounge room, allowing her a moment to her thoughts.

As Chi-Chi sat in the living room in silence, she rubbed her chin in thought at the word she had heard the Blind Bandit speak. Her brow furrowed as her mind scrounged the deepest depths of her memory in search for a meaning of that quote, or perhaps an origin.

"_Pure strength…tested…tried…but can never be determined…as long as one finds that strength within himself…_hmm," the Son mother said to herself. "That sounds so familiar…where have I heard something like that before…?"

Dropping that question a few seconds later, she shrugged and stood up, returning to the kitchen. The Son mother figured her husband was about done with his training, and that it was nearly time for lunch.

Strangely, even after seeing the Blind Bandit fight, the mother never suspected it to be Gohan for a second!

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	37. World Tournament Begins

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_World Tournament Begins_

_**Two Months later…**_

Today was the day the Z-fighters finally came out of hiding, emerging from the shadows and stepping back into the spotlight. With their weeks of training done, the participants of the gang were all ready to hit the ring of the World Martial Arts Tournament. Fans of the popular arts across the globe have also prepared for this day, and would either be at the very stadium personally overseeing the fights from the stands ringside, or would remain at home, watching the competition play out on their television sets from their couches. It was from these spots they would be watching the main attractions, the fighters. All across the globe, martial artists, fighters and/or warriors of all shapes, sizes, color, creed, origin, race, league and legion etc. were drawn to the ring, wanting to participate in this wild event. Martial Arts happened to be one of the most popular sports in the world, and those fans of this sport were sure not to miss this attraction. You would be shuffling in your seats from excitement.

Within the waking morning hours, the island the Martial Arts Tournament was being held at was already amassing with hundreds of excited spectators. The island was basically a small landmass down South, approximately 30 miles off of the main land. To add to this, the main and only city on the island was built at the base of a high mountain, set in plain view of any incoming aircraft or ships. This _Capital City_ where the stadium was built in, would serve as a lodge for overseas travelers as well as fighters to stay. That is if the fights should take too long and the tournament would have to be divided up into days rather then hours, or should be held up because of bad weather. Things have been well prepared here, with the competition looking to be an extraordinary event.

Around the stadium, people flocked and grouped, walking around what was commonly referred to by most as a world fair. This amusement park was set up to provide extra entertainment for the people and visitors to the island, giving them an area they could spend some time around till the tournament actually started. The fair was also rather enjoyable to be apart of, but till the main events began the people would just have to use up whatever time they had on them to kill. The fair was built upon by shops, booths, carnival rides, restaurants, deli's, kiosks and other stores in which people could turn to, to satisfy their needs and wants. The large crowds made such a racket with their loud exclamations, chattering and excited bolstering. It was in the midst of these masses of people a particular group marched through.

Having touched down a few minutes ago at the landing zones for incoming aircraft, the familiar group of Z-fighters walked down one of the main roads towards the tournament. Weaving past running kids, groups of spectators and parading entertainers, the gang had found themselves in a bit of a tight situation. For some of them, the formal participants of this tournament, a lot of things have changed from what they remembered. Goku, Krillin, Piccolo, Chi-Chi and Bulma in particular were fussed about the number of people who have showed up for today. It was getting harder and harder for them to get anywhere these days. Crowds like this only made the matter much worse.

Krillin sighed and shook his head, watching more people rush past them to get where they were going. The monk had changed a lot from when he was last seen, and at this point, it was a bit overrated to refer to him as a monk now. He now had grown black hair, messy hair that put him in a position beyond recognition almost, and changing from his regular orange and blue gi, he now wore a red fighting top with light brown gym pants with boots. Incredibly enough it suited him quite well. "Man…I tell you, a lot of things change after so many years of being away from this…" the short fighter exclaimed. Goku nodded in agreement.

"You said it Krillin," the Saiyan replied. As for him, he hadn't changed a bit. His hair was messy and spiking out as usual and his form still sported his symbolic red and blue gi. He chuckled and looked around some more. "All this kiddy stuff really hits you where you live huh?"

Chi-Chi sighed as she walked beside her husband, brow furrowing. "It's just not the same anymore…man!" she groaned. "I hope we don't get lost."

"Cool, look at that, Trunks!" Goten exclaimed to his friend walking by him, pointing out a snake charmer influencing a cobra with his flute. "How does he do that without talking to the animal?" Trunks blinked at him, bewildered.

"I'm not sure how talking to a snake can keep it from biting you," the grey haired demi replied. Goten turned to him with his usual, go lucky grin.

"Let's take a closer look!" the half-Saiyan jeered. Chi-Chi heard him clear as day, so did Bulma. In immediate reaction the two women grabbed the shoulders of their respective child and held them back, stopping them dead from running off. Goten and Trunks glanced over at their mother's in surprise, seeing them staring at them seriously.

"Oh, no you don't, mister," Chi-Chi said firmly.

"There's no way in this world we're going to let you parade around with these all these people. We don't want you getting into trouble," Bulma continued. "Plus you can easily get lost in these crowds…"

Goten and Trunks groaned, making Krillin and Goku laugh at their grave misfortunes. 18#, who was also a mother in her own right, was leading Marron through as well, holding onto her hand and making sure she didn't run off. The obedient girl had no inclination of moving away from her mother and just walked on beside her, awing at the people and objects around her. Vegeta, the battle hardened Saiyan prince, acting as gruff as ever, kept silent and walked with the group as well. Piccolo had amazingly joined the group earlier as well, and walked behind Goku with his expression showing its natural seriousness. Others who have also joined the group, but their role was to be the audience. The members of the troop included Master Roshi, Ox-King, Puar, Oolong, Yamcha and Ren (Yamcha's wife). They too trotted within the group, awing at their surroundings.

"Yamcha, dear," Ren said in a very feminine, soft voice, easily attracting the attention of her husband. Note the girl was as pretty as they came, which gave certain understanding to why Yamcha was so attracted to her. She had long, brown hair that grew down to shoulder length and had brown eyes of her own, special tone. She also wore a yellow dress with white linings, and had a purple purse hanging from her shoulder. Ren was a real winner of her species. "You said that there wasn't going to be this many people," the girl continued, sounding a bit concerned.

Her husband looked down at her. He also wore a yellow suit of his own, mostly for outdoor purposes. He also got himself a different style of haircut, which was short as always. "Well…I didn't really count on such a large number, honey," the baseballer replied. "Why? Does it bother you?" he asked. Ren smiled up at him, shaking her head.

"No, not really," she exclaimed. "It's just that it would be quite hard for us to find some seats to watch the fights…" she said. This gave Yamcha the answer to his wife's worries and so he just nodded to her with a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry. I'm sure there will be some free spots for us to sit. Just give it some time…" the former fighter replied with a smile.

Piccolo, forced to endure the rants made by the pair just shook his head and glanced to the side, arms crossed. _"Earthlings…always so concerned…"_

"Man, I bet this tournament is going to be a blast, seeing as there's so many people here today," the Ox-King said, eyes wheeling around to watch a couple of kids rush by, laughing happily with cotton candy in their hands. "And judging from the excitement already built up, I bet the commotion during the fights will be twice as high…"

"You said it," Oolong said, stepping over a dropped ice-cream cone. Puar floated around him, smiling as always.

"I second the motion," the floating cat squeaked. "It's going to be really noisy!"

"Ugh, just my luck…a bigger headache," Chi-Chi said with a sigh. "I knew I should have stayed at home and watched it on the television." Her husband turned to her, still looking as bright as ever.

"Aww, come on Chi-Chi," the Saiyan exclaimed loudly. "It'll be great! You'll see! The guys and I will give you something to cheer about! Seriously! It will blow your minds!"

Bulma raised an eyebrow at him, sweat dropping. "I hope you don't mean literally," the blue haired scientist muttered. They all knew what kind of fights Goku and the others got into. The battles were so intense it practically tore the ground up underneath them. If they were lucky, then the ring would be spared any serious damage in the first rounds. But all that really mattered was that the Z-fighters participating concentrated their fire away from the crowds in the stands, sparing them from getting roasted.

After a few minutes or so of walking, the group eventually arrived at the crossroads. This connected with two other main paths, both leading to separate areas in different directions. It was here the people broke into their desired factions, and would turn to the areas they were supposed to gather at. To the Z-fighters' right, leading into the stadium's inner workings was where the preliminaries were being held and where the registration booth was. And to their left was the path that led to the tournament stadium itself, where the ring and the stands were built. As of this moment, it was time that the group parted ways. Chi-Chi and Bulma wished their husbands and children good-luck, with Krillin and 18# leaving their daughter in the care of Yamcha and Ren. Piccolo, with good fortune for him, had no one to turn to. He didn't need the attention anyway. So, after wishing each other good luck and saying their good-byes for now, Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, 18#, Goten, Trunks and Krillin headed down the path towards the preliminary area. Chi-Chi, Bulma, Yamcha and the others took the other path after seeing the fighters off. The excitement was just brimming at the surface.

Goten and Trunks were sharing a very happy conversation, saying that they would meet each other in the finals. There was a certainty. However, this will only be if they both ended up on different sides of the line-up board. Goku and Krillin were also sharing a nice talk, sharing valuable information on fighting styles and various combinations they could use. It was a part for part exchange that suited them well. 18# was listening to the two of them chat along, just smiling whenever her husband cracked a particularly funny joke. The only members of the group who remained quiet and collected were Piccolo and Vegeta. These two warriors did their best to ignore the uprisings going on around them. On first glance of the wide open path they walked down, they could see there were a lot of fighters competing. From the wackiest to the utmost disciplined, participants came from far and wide, just to compete for the Ten Million Zenie Prize, or just to fight against the champ himself! It was definitely going to be big!

As they drew closer and closer to the giant archway, Krillin turned to the others and gestured towards it. "Hey, we'd better sign up officially to the tournament before we move along. Don't want to appear as no shows when it comes to the preliminaries," the former monk said. Goku nodded in agreement.

"Good idea Krillin," the Saiyan replied, pointing over towards the base of the arch. "The sign up booth is right over there. Best double check our names in…"

The Z-fighters turned their attention towards the booth and approached it. When they reached the fighters sign up stand, they saw that there was already a line in front of it, with two of the tournament's monks working behind the booth. They were busy writing names into the books placed out in front of him, seeing one fighter after another. Already there was a big pile of filled out sheets beside them, indicating the many hundreds of fighters participating. Guess there was a lot of competition going on. But, never minding the odds of them moving to the finals, since the group was sure to get in, they just lined up and waited there turn. First went Krillin, then 18#, followed by Goten and Trunks, then Vegeta and Goku, and finally Piccolo. They all waited patiently with their gear for their turn, watching as the line thinned out. Already it was down to five people remaining till it was Krillin's turn. The fighters didn't look very strong, since they were only earthlings with potential. The man standing in front of Krillin was a military man dressed in forest camo but obviously cut down for fighting. In front of him stood a big, anthropomorphic Tiger dressed in a red and blue gi. And in front of him was a figure dressed in a dark brown cloak. They all looked like they couldn't hold a 100 kilo weight.

When the man in front of the hooded figure left, he took to the stage, looking down at the monks with a shadowed face. Well, even if the shadow were to be removed, you could see the man wearing a red scarf wrapped around his mouth and covering his nose, and a black blind fold that also covered his forehead. It was also on the blindfold around the forehead area there was a silver plate woven to it with a fighting sign engraved into its surface. Still, it wasn't seen till he moved more into the light. The monks looked up at him casually, carrying on with their regular routine.

"Name please," the shorter of the two asked. The hooded figure lowered his head a bit.

"Umm…the _Blind Bandit_," he stated. The two monks looked at each other, nodded and made sure to get his name down. After which the hooded figure stood back up to full height and waited for the affirmation from the two.

While this was going on, Goku moved a bit to the side and peaked around to the front of the line. He saw the cloaked figure signing his name down, keeping quiet. Strangely enough, the older Saiyan sensed a strange ki signature coming off of him, surprisingly lowered to a certain degree. He knew this for a fact because no ordinary person knew had to mask their own energy levels except those who were trained to influence their ki. This young man, the Blind Bandit or whoever he was, was keeping a majority of his power hidden. Also, not only did he emit a hidden ki, but his energy felt kind of familiar, yet distant. Piccolo and Vegeta had also spotted this and looked at each other. Goku joined in this, and in silent agreement, they all nodded before looking back at the cloaked individual.

A moment later, the signing was complete. The monk smiled up at the masked warrior and nodded. "Thank you…the preliminary area is in that direction," the taller one exclaimed, gesturing him through the archway. "Warm up pavilion is directly ahead through the main hall. Good luck…" The hooded figure bowed and then, almost in stealth like fashion, began striding towards the arch. Goku, Piccolo and Vegeta stared after him, either looking perplexed or very serious.

Goku blinked, stepping forward when the people in front of him moved. "Who was that guy?" the Saiyan warrior asked. "I was getting a lot of pulses from him." Piccolo lowered his head.

"I'm not sure Goku," the Namekian replied. "But I tell you one thing; that guy isn't any ordinary person…" His naïve Saiyan friend in front of him nodded.

"You said it," Goku exclaimed before smiling. "Man, this is going to be exciting!"

Vegeta furrowed his brow at the fighter behind him before glaring off in the direction the cloak figure had gone. His eyes flickered as his senses extended, locking onto the said hooded person. Though he didn't feel worried in the least, he did feel a mild uncertainty revolving around the mysterious warrior. _"There's something familiar about him…although I can't really be sure. He's masked his personality and ki level perfectly, and has replaced it with some foreign power. No one can influence ki like that…no one on this planet anyway…"_

A few seconds later, the subject on the cloaked warrior was for now dropped and replaced by the usual mood of excitement and eagerness. It was finally Krillin's turn at the booth and from here the rest of the Z-fighters signed in. It took only a couple of minutes to do so, but eventually they had all affirmed their names into the books and were headed off to the change rooms. Those who were already dressed and ready didn't need to change. So when the group reached the main hallway entrance set between the men and women change rooms, they broke up again. 18#, Goku, Goten and Piccolo waited outside, whilst Trunks, Krillin and Vegeta went in to change.

While the three of them were changing, Goku and Goten had a little bit more father and son time with each other before they moved out. Goten laughed happily as Goku gave him a piggy back, running around like a child himself. 18# smiled at them, but turned her attention to Piccolo to see him approached by two monks, one of them carrying an emergency medical supply box. The glasses wearing staff members of the tournament stared up at the Namekian leaning against the wall, their concerns set upon him. The whole thing began to unfold into a hilarious act.

"Sir is there anything we can do for you?" the monk holding the med bag asked. "You're looking a tad green…" Well, that just happened to be a understatement. The Namekian growled at them, blushing with embarrassment.

"GO AWAY!" he shouted. "I've always looked like this!"

The monks freaked out and scampered off, shouting their apologies to the fighter. Piccolo panted as he caught his breath, shutting his eyes tightly and furrowing his brow. He was still a little red in the face from his yelling, and was sweating as usual. 18# chuckled at the sight and turned to the Namek, giving him a very sly smile.

"You know, Piccolo," she began. "You are looking a bit greener then usual…"

The Namekian turned on her. "Quiet woman!" he growled while glowering. With a huff he glared in some other direction. "This has happened to me twice…twice…" he hissed to himself. Memories of the last time this similar thing occurred came back to him. It was after the battle with the Saiyans, and the Z-fighters had taken Goku to the hospital. Piccolo had been cornered by a couple of concerned doctors. Well, they were only doing there jobs. Anyone looking green or any other worrisome color is sure to be sick or something.

18# stifled her laughter, her body shaking. However, unable to contain it, she burst out laughing. Piccolo scowled at her, but began to ignore the former android. Goku and Goten were too preoccupied with their play time to notice any of the events that had taken place nearby, and just continued to fool around. Some time later, Krillin, Trunks and Vegeta emerged from the changing rooms, their fighting gear all set and ready. Then, as one whole group again, they headed down the main hall toward the preliminary area. As they left their check point, they heard a voice over the loudspeaker. _**"All contestants for the World Martial Arts Tournament please report to the warm up pavilion! Preliminaries will begin with or without you!"**_

Already on their way, the Z-fighters walked down the long stretch of corridor that happened to be one of the main gateways to the pavilion deep within the compounds of the stadium area. It was only after a minute or so of walking did the group eventually arrive at the preliminary area. Goten and Trunks ran ahead of the adults, filled with excitement and energy, but stopped short after running out into the courtyard hosting the preliminaries. They awed at the sights before them and looked around, shortly joined by Goku and the others. From where they stood close to the exit of the hall, they saw hundreds of fighters and martial artists scattered around the whole area, stretching and warming up for the challenges ahead. It was amazing, there were so many of them.

"Wow, would you look at that!" Krillin exclaimed. "We're going to have a lot of competition this year!"

"I don't see what you're so amazed about!" Vegeta said roughly. "We can wipe the floor with all of them right now!"

"Umm…I wouldn't do that if I were you Vegeta," Goku said to him. "If we fight them under non-competition conditions before the preliminaries actually begin, we'll be hereby disqualified and kicked out." Piccolo nodded affirmatively, breaking away from the group but not before walking past Goku.

"It's happened many times before," the Namekian said, passing Vegeta next. "A lot of well respected fighters never made it back into the game…"

The Saiyan Prince just growled back in response before walking away from the group to stand elsewhere. Even after all these years, he still belittled them all, or still felt that they made him look like a joke. He just had to get away from it all. The rest of the gang ignored his usual swings and proceeded into the crowds, but stayed together. They passed by a lot of interesting martial artists, taking a small moment to see what fighting style they used. There were boxers, karate artists, kung-fu masters, monks and many others, most of the free range. This was what was meant by World Tournament. A lot came from places no one had ever been too or heard of.

Unbeknownst to the group passing towards the forward head of the crowds, they were being watched. The same cloaked figure that had been standing in line at the sign up booth was carefully monitoring their every move. He stared at them from a distance, his blind fold moved up a bit under his hood so that he could see them clearly enough to identify each of them. His eyes moved over Goku, then Piccolo and then Vegeta, these three fighters the main people in his sights. He also spotted Krillin and 18#, the two obviously an item now and he knew. Then there were the two children accompanying them, the grey haired child wearing the dark green and orange gi Trunks, whereas the other was a smaller version of Goku. The problem was he didn't know the child's name.

After a moment of watching them, the figure dropped his blindfold over his eyes again and shadowed his face, blending in with the rest of the fighters once more. It was as soon he disappeared did a group of monks appear at the head of the crowds, followed by the staff official in charge of this section of selection for the tournament. He was a stout man who wore a dark blue and light blue T-shirt, and brown slack supported by suspenders. He also had a mustache and wore circular glasses, easily distinguishing himself from the rest of the staff. Stepping up on the stage set up for him, the man cleared his throat and pulled out the microphone from behind him.

"_**Attention, attention! Could all fighters participating in today's tournament, please gather around the area in front of me so we can begin the preliminaries! Thank you!"**_ the gentleman called, catching the attentions of the crowds scattered around. Immediately after hearing this, the fighters called to the front amassed in front of the tournament official, coming to stand in no particular order but in places where they could see him. Most of the taller fighters stood out back, whilst the shorter fighters took their places at the front. As for the Z-fighters, they had managed to push their way to the front of the crowd so they could get a clear view of what was happening.

The announcer nodded as he scanned the crowds, seeing all their attention fixated upon him. It was while he was looking around did a couple of the monks working behind him rolled in a white board with a line up drawn up on it, a table and lists of names of every fighter present in the pavilion. Joining this gear also was a giant machine of some sort with punching bag built at the front of it and a simple pressure mechanism behind it. It took eight monks to carry the thing. When the machine was set down and everything was set in order, the leading official was finally able to continue with his next palm card.

"_**First of all, I'd like to welcome each and every one of you to the Strongest Under the Heavens Martial Arts Tournament! In all my years of working here, I have seen hundreds of fighters come and go, all of which had great potential and high spirits. I see a lot of familiar faces with us today, as well as a lot of new faces!"**_ the official exclaimed, his eyes scanning over the large crowds. It was after this act he moved on further through his duties. _**"And so, without further ado, the preliminaries shall be starting now!"**_ He then pointed over to one of the senior monk's standing beside him. _**"And for all those participating in the junior division of the tournament, could you please follow the staff member here, so he can lead you to the waiting room!"**_ The monk beside him raised his hand, drawing attention to him. Surprisingly, a lot of kids, ranging from five to sixteen came striding out of the crowds and headed towards the senior official. The Z-fighters had to bid farewell to Goten and Trunks for the time being, saying that they would go and watch their fights as soon as they were out of the preliminaries. The two half-Saiyans trotted off, lit with excitement.

With all the junior participants off to play their part in this tournament, the current official up on stage nodded with a smile and turned back to the remaining fighters in front of him. The crowd stared at him, listening intently. Once again, the announcer began to speak._** "As a note for future references, it is to be brought to all of your attention that approximately 180 fighters have entered in today's tournament, not including those in the junior division! Unfortunately, there are only 16 spots in the finals, and by the rules the defending champion Hercule Satan is automatically selected to participate, which leaves only 15 spots to fill. Most of you will be going home today, but those of you who are lucky enough, shall continue on into the finals!"**_

Murmuring erupted amongst the crowds, echoing loudly for a few moments before they all silenced themselves and returned their sights to the announcer. The official had begun to speak again, meaning they all had to keep quiet in order to hear what he had to say. _**"Because of the large number of fighters participating in this year's tournament, we have moved to an alternate means of selection different from our past program. The preliminary test will involve a test of punching straight into the punch machine you see standing behind me!"**_ the official said, gesturing towards the structure set up behind him._** "Points shall be displayed, determining your place amongst the fighters participating. The fifteen highest shall proceed on to the finals!"**_

More chattering sprung up amongst the crowds of fighters. There were a lot of groans heard, as well as barely audible complaints, but in the end, those who were filled with disappointment had to live with this. The Z-fighters had no problem with this, although Vegeta and Piccolo found this routine a bit farfetched. Krillin furrowed his brow and crossed his arms.

"Punch machine?" he queried, raising an eyebrow. "Well that's never been done before…"

The announcer waved his hand up for silence, turning back to his microphone to help increase the volume of his voice. _**"As per new tradition ladies and gentlemen, I now call the reigning champion Hercule to the stage to be the first to try out our new punch machine!"**_ With that, he stepped down, the monks around him moving the stand out of the way. Now people were able to get a clear view of things with the platform now out of the picture.

Loud shouts, cheers and applause suddenly exploded from the crowds of fighters when, emerging from the hallway behind the many tournament officials, Mr. Satan himself stepped into view. Dressed in his symbolic brown and white fighting gi, added up by his cape and all, the afro martial artist came out into the light and gave to the people his loud, warrior like roar he was known to give on each appearance. In response, everyone standing before him, except the Z-fighters, lit up in a series of chants and bellows of cheers. Their respect towards the champ became quite obvious, as he was the so-called 'savior of the world'. All those who knew the truth however felt like spewing up their lunch.

As soon as Hercule stepped up in front of the punch machine, he removed his cape and threw it to the side. At the same time, he unbuckled the large belt worn around his waist and held it up. The golden eagle and crystals encrusted in it, shone brilliantly in the light. This was the true representation of championship today, which would be a real eyesore if it wasn't held by a complete buffoon. Emerging from the crowds, reporters from all over the place came pouring in with their cameras, and began taking pictures of the champ in his formal and symbolic wear. People would pay great money for these shots. The flashes of cameras went out, but Hercule wasn't bothered by it. He just roared his fighter's call some more and jabbed his belt into the air, gathering more attention from the fighters in front of him.

"Yeah!" he shouted. "Does any fighter out there thinks they have what it takes to win this year's Martial Arts Competition?!" he bellowed, looking around the crowds. "Well, let's hear it!" The hundreds of fighters just continued to cheer, seeming to grow louder at the champ's roars. The Z-fighters just shook their heads and looked away…well…all those who couldn't take this. Goku and Krillin just stared oddly at the afro maniac in front of them as he continued gesturing out his belt before he lowered it and wrapped it around him again. When it was firmly secured around his waist, Mr. Satan smirked, flicked his nose with his thumb and grinned wildly. "Well, we're just going to have to find out, won't we?! Let's get this show on the road!"

Turning around, Hercule faced his back towards the people and set his eyes on the prize. The target, as it was given a different reference before, was to be the punch machine behind him. Echoing of cheers continued in the background, with the officials gathering about. The head of this group stepped to the side with a clipboard in his hand, ready to jot down the result. _**"Fighters, prepare yourselves for the grand opening of the preliminaries!"**_ the glasses wearing official shouted. _**"Mr. Satan, take it away!!!"**_

Hercule smirked and, standing before the punch machine, took a fighting stance. His feet spread and stood firmly, supporting his hulking frame. As he did so, he drew his right hand back and fisted it tightly, his left hand held forward in his own stylish way. To further add to this, his eyes narrowed down on the machine and his expression tightened, a low groan escaping his lips as he gathered strength. The very energy he was going to apply into this punch would be the only one he would be allowed, as the rules followed. This would be the standing point every other fighter would have to try and reach. It was at his preparations, most of the fighters stood silent, and watched with full focus as the champ prepared to open up the tournament.

Then, in spectacular martial arts fashion, the champ let out a bellowing yell and threw his fist forward, sending it into the machine. His fist burrowed into the hard pad and jerked it, the force coming in contact with the pressure mechanism. Immediately after his fist made contact, the digital counter above the padding came alive with flashes of numbers. The countdown began and everyone watched. Then, after Hercule had removed his fist, the score popped up clear as day in white, digital writing. The tournament officials stood amazed, with the head of the staff stepping forward, showing much enthusiasm to the score.

"_**Incredible, the champ has scored a record breaking 137 points! Amazing!"**_ the announcer shouted through the microphone. Once again the crowds lit up with the sounds of applause and cheering. The voices carried on, reaching the ears of Mr. Satan who, at this very moment, was recovering from the energy he had placed into his straight punch. His fists were placed on his hips, and with his back still turned to the audience behind him, he panted, catching his breath with a grin of satisfaction. The Z-fighters, who stood amongst the crowds, just looked at each other indifferently before returning their sights to the front.

With his grand opening made, the champ walked past the tournament officials and towards the hall. But just before he left, he stopped and turned back to the crowds, raising his fist in a triumphant way. "I wish all yee fighters out there good luck. And I hope that any of you can at least break the hundred point barrier, so that we can at least have a descent match!" the champ called. In response, a whole shockwave of cheers rang out, making Hercule grin. "See you on the ring!!!" Then, turning away from the crowds, the champ marched into the hall and disappeared. You had to admit, he sure liked to make an entrance and an exit.

When Mr. Satan had departed the preliminary area, the head official amongst the lot already scattered out in the warm up area, stepped forward and brought his clip-board about. With a nod, he turned back to the crowds with a smile. _**"Well folks, there you have it! Let's all give one last cheer for Mr. Satan!!!"**_ the announcer exclaimed. All at once, the fighters crowded in the pavilion let out that last roar, all of them shouting their praises to the great fighter. The Z-fighters just stared, with Goku and Krillin looking around to see the reactions from the surrounding martial artists. When the yelling died down, they all turned their attentions back to the announcer. They saw him grinning down at them, glasses flashing. "_**But our line of celebrity fighters isn't over just yet, for we have some more fighters to call to the stage!"**_ the official exclaimed, looking down at the board in his hand. _**"Not only do we have the Great Hercule Satan participating in today's tournament, but we also have his only daughter, Videl Satan, standing among us! Please, Miss Satan, come on up!!!"**_

A close uproar of cheers rang out as a girl around seventeen years of age, emerged from the crowds and walked over to the punch machine, left hand on her fist and a very serious expression in play. The Z-fighters watched her stroll out, and were surprised to see what the daughter of the champ looked like. Videl looked nothing like her father, and certainly did act like it. She was incredibly quiet. The girl stood to about a couple of inches shorter then Chi-Chi, with her colors sprouting from raven, black hair, tied up in pigtails to brilliant blue, sapphire eyes. Her appearance was also a lot different then expected. She wore a baggy, white T-shirt, black bicycle shorts, black fingerless fighting gloves and green, Capsule Corp boots. To finish off the descriptions, she was also quite attractive, and had a great figure. As she strolled out, she received a lot of cheers and applause from the fighters, but didn't care like her father.

The Z-fighters were sure surprised.

"That's Hercule's daughter?" Goku asked.

Krillin tilted her head at her. "I didn't even know he _had_ a daughter! Man, what are the odds!"

Coming to stand before the punch machine, the girl nodded to the official beside it and took a well-placed stance. Concentrating hard onto the padded device before her, Videl maintained a attack stance recognized as the Eagle's Claw, and glared hard at the red striking pad in front of her. More silence fell, with some murmuring still going up from the crowds. A few seconds later, after some more quiet had maintained itself, Videl struck out with a powered up punch. Without the show of awe her father had displayed, the raven haired fighter struck the machine hard, jerking it as well with a sharp yell of her own. From here, she stood up straight and watched the points fly in.

It came as quite of a shock to most as the girl scored many points higher then her father. Even the Z-fighters were astounded. The announcer stepped forward and took a closer look at the readouts. _**"T-T-Two-hundred and e-eighty six…points?" **_he stammered. Everyone then turned to the girl, seeing her uncross her arms, shrug and turn away.

"Well, I am the champ's daughter," she stated in a hard, feminine voice. With that final word, she walked away from the official and came to stand at the side, easily claiming a spot as one of the strongest here. The announcer, who slowly recovered from his shock, gulped and wiped his forehead with a tissue.

"_**R-R-Right…of course, Miss Satan,"**_ he replied before turning back to the crowds behind him. _**"Well, there you have it folks!"**_Several claps came in, but were quite beside the last applause Videl had received. The girl just flicked one of her pigtails over her shoulder and waved back before succumbing to silence and glaring. Clearing his throat, the announcer just continued. _**"Okay, next up…we have the Internationally renowned Wushu artist, Master Shao, member of the Four Chambers of Commerce League and 50 times champion of the League State Championships!"**_ he called. The crowds, now fully recovered from their shock of Videl's outstanding achievement of strength points, cheered and applauded as the familiar Master himself stepped out from the crowds. Wearing his symbolic gi robes and taking his strong stride into count, he walked out from the crowds to the left of the Z-fighters and approached the stage. The announcer smiled at him on his appearance, whereas Videl watched as he took a stand in front of the punch machine.

With his front turned to the very machine itself, the bald fighting master dropped into a fighting stance and glared down the machine just as Videl had done. His attack stance was recognized as the Dragon Stance by most, with his legs at balanced distances apart. Adjusting his position just so he got the correct leverage, the fighter gritted his teeth and pulled strength into his backward arm. His right fist clenched tightly, and his eyes hardened in their glare. Everyone watched with great interest as to what this celebrity fighter could achieve, and as they did, Shao let out a warrior's cry and threw his fist forward, burying it into the punch machine. It jerked once more, but not as much as Hercule's blow.

Seconds later, after assuming a proper standing position, everyone saw the digits pop up. They all awed at this, making calls of surprise and to show how impressed they were. The announcer nodded affirmatively, getting down Shao's score who fixed up his long sleeve and shook his fist. _**"Oh, very nice! 129 points! Excellent Master Shao! Thank you," **_the announcer exclaimed, gesturing towards the place Videl stood. The master of martial arts, remaining quiet and collected, walked over to join the teenager and, when he did, he stood beside her and crossed his arms, closing his eyes. Videl merely glanced at him before turning back to the machine, wanting to know who the next celebrity fighter was.

After checking his list once, the announcer looked back up towards the crowds, a smile set in his features. _**"Now, I would like to invite our final celebrity to the stage. He has been proclaimed as one of the greatest martial artists in the world rivaling even Hercule Satan, and is the champion of the recent Four Chambers of Commerce National Martial Arts Tournament! Though he is well known for his incredible strength, but is mostly known for his level of skill,"**_ the announcer exclaimed, looking down at his clipboard. He then looked back up and raised his hand into the air. _**"Ladies and gentlemen, I call upon the Blind Bandit to the stage!"**_

A lot of murmuring went up around the crowds, with the Z-fighters looking from left to right for this mysterious fighter. Videl also took the time to look around, whereas Master Shao just stood where he was and waited. After a moment of applause, everyone stopped, looking around in puzzlement. For a few seconds, no particular fighter had answered this call, but that was to be tested when the very fighter in question came out. Suddenly, fighters began to part at the centre, a gap forming in the crowds that reached the Z-fighters seconds later. They all glanced behind them, and parted just like everyone else had done. More murmuring erupted as the said, blind warrior, stepped forward.

Goku easily recognized the fighter as the cloaked figure they had taken an interest too back at the booth. He was the one that was emitting that funny ki signature, and the one who appeared to be the most serious of the lot. A lot of attention was drawn towards him, with the announcer smiling in satisfaction and nodding to him as he stepped in front of the machine.

"_**Excellent, it appears we have our champion here. Whenever you're ready…"**_ the official exclaimed, bringing up his clipboard to get ready to jot down the score. He wasn't expecting any surprises, and neither was everyone else. They just watched the cloaked fighter intently as he just took a basic stance and locked his sights onto his target. Videl had taken quite an interest in this new fighter, as she had heard of him also. Master Shao however, just watched with anticipation.

It was after several seconds of fallen silence, did the blind warrior finally make his move. He struck out with a quick jab, one that jerked the machine and pushed it back a foot or so. It shook the ground practically, and when it stopped, the cloaked fighter stood back up and watched the digits come up on screen. It beeped and beeped for a couple more seconds, the pressure mechanism working its magic. Soon enough, the results popped up. Eyes bugged and mouths dropped in shock at the score that was written. The announcer was completely bewildered.

"_**N-N-Nine hundred and ninety nine points!!!"**_ he shouted. The utmost highest score you could get on the machine! All the fighters in the pavilion were dumbstruck, even the Z-fighters were a bit surprised. Videl was staring wide eyed at the fighter, unable to believe what she had just heard. The only one who wasn't in shock was Master Shao himself. Actually, he didn't look at all surprised. He was just smiling, having expected a score like that to come from him.

The announcer, sweating nervously, approached the young warrior. The Blind Bandit turned to him, remaining silent yet was waiting for an answer. "It seems to be out of order…sorry about that, sir. Could you give us a moment to check so that we can check the condition of the machine please?" the announcer asked, chuckling. The warrior just stared for a moment, but then turned back to the contraption in front of him, not at all flustered. The crowds standing behind him were still staring in amazement, with some of the fighters fainting from the shock that had just gone out. A lot of murmuring went up as a result of the Blind Bandit's sudden leap of strength, people beginning to discuss how this one fighter could achieve such high points on the machine! The Z-fighters looked around at each other in puzzlement for a moment before resetting their sights back onto the blind warrior.

As the monks checked the machine, Videl, who was slowly recovering from her shock, shook her head and looked around at Shao. She saw that the martial artist was still smiling, eyes firmly set on the cloaked warrior. He didn't look at all bewildered, much less astonished. The raven haired girl was puzzled by his mood, having expected more overly shock coming from him. However, the questions on her mind covered her expectations, so she further went on to press this new matter. "Shao, did you know he was going to get such a high score?" Videl asked.

The martial artist nodded in response. "Of course," he replied. "After all, I did fight him two months ago at the Commerce Tournament, along with three other champion fighters. The three of them…as well as I…were clearly no challenge to him. He swept us away like we were nothing. Though we may have been considered great by others, he was even greater. His strength, speed, concentration and stamina levels were mind-boggling. However, it is his level of skill that is most amazing. I have never seen or heard of such a warrior in my life. He's incredible!"

Videl blinked, looking more curious and suspicious then ever. "But…do you know him personally?" she asked. "If not, then how come you know so much about him?" The girl obviously wanted to get as much information on the Blind Bandit as possible.

Shao turned to her, still smiling with his arms crossed. "I'm afraid I have no business dealings with the man, or any other dealings of any sorts. He just showed up out of nowhere one day, intent on facing us in the ring of that particular tournament," the martial artist replied before turning back to set his sights on the cloaked warrior. "I know this much about him because I was trained to take notes of my opponent as we fought. When I engaged him in that battle, and watched him fight from the sidelines, I gathered up a lot about him. But what I know is only the tip of the iceberg. No one knows his true identity, nor does anyone know who or what he really is. It was like he descended from some other world to challenge our strength. And I believe he has beaten us in that part. If I am to face him in the first round out today's tournament, then I am sure to lose…"

Videl stared at the bald fighter for a couple more seconds, but then turned back to the blind warrior standing by the punch machine to see what'll happen next. If the readouts were false, then this could very well be a hoax. But if they were true…well…there were going to be a lot more questions to answer.

During this time, the Z-fighters were set in deep thought about the Blind Bandit. Vegeta, Piccolo and Goku had taken absolute interest in the young fighter, all of them intent on finding out how he was able to do the impossible…well…on a human degree anyway. However, they did not want to pry into the fighter right now, not in public. This had to be done delicately, a step by step process. If it was not done subtly, then they may as well just let him go. Piccolo furrowed his brow, glancing down at Goku seriously. The Saiyan warrior was also looking quite serious.

"I don't like the feel of this, Goku," the Namekian said. "He's strong…"

The Saiyan he was addressing nodded. "I know," he replied. "It's easy to tell, isn't it…"

"Obviously," Vegeta cut in, glaring down the blind warrior whose back was turned to them. Krillin and 18# were also taking his strength into consideration; however the shorter of the two remained skeptical. Krillin placed his hands on his hips and tilted his head at the fighter, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't know…he doesn't look that strong to me guys," the former monk stated. "How can you be sure?" Piccolo furrowed his brow, glaring down at the small fighter.

"Idiot! Don't underestimate your opponent, Krillin," the Namekian stated in growl tone. "We were all taught that value years ago when we faced Frieza and Cell. I thought you would remember that, seeing as that you're a fighter as well. Guess I was wrong…" The green warrior said, shaking his head and looking away. Krillin glanced up at him in response, but then looked back, looking a little bit disgruntled.

"Well…no need to get personal…" 18# glanced down at her husband, seeing the distaste edged on his face, but then just looked away. It was Krillin's usual mood at some points, nothing to worry about.

It took a minute or so, but the checking of the punch machine's systems was complete. After thorough inspections, the monks could not find any problem with the machine, but figured that the Blind Bandit should try again, just to be sure. The announcer nodded and turned to the hooded fighter, smiling once again. He gestured towards the patted area at the front of the machine. "Okay sir, would you like to try again…?"

With a nod, the Blind Bandit once again assumed an attack stance. His senses firmly settled on his target and his focus was renewed. Silence fell once again, leaving way for clear and careful observations. The truth was soon to be uncovered, once the warrior was done with his turn. Everyone in the area held their breath, watching and listening intently. Then, the Blind Bandit punched out again, no grunt, no yell, just a basic, simple, light punch. The machine jerked and, as before, was pushed back due to the force applied. With his punch finished, he stood straight again and watched the number count flip up his result. After a few seconds of beeping, the results came to. Everyone stood thunderstruck at the score, including the tournament officials. Videl was surprised, but not as much as before. What were the odds?!

"_**N-Nine hundred and ninety eight…points…boy…"**_ the glasses wearing commentator said, glancing at the blind warrior who turned to him. _**"Gee…t-that's surprising…"**_ The cloaked figure lowered his head towards him.

"I can lower my score by one more point if you want me to try again," the Blind Bandit said in a cool, mature and monotone voice. "But I don't see what difference it will make from my last score."

The announcer freaked out a bit at the tone of the fighter's last sentence and waved his hands in front of him, pouring sweat like crazy. "No, no…that's fine…that's fine!" the official exclaimed hurriedly. "You're score is satisfactory enough. Ahh…c-congratulations…you're moving on t-to the finals!" The Blind Bandit nodded and then bowed to him.

"Thank you," he whispered. Then, standing up straight, the blind warrior turned and walked straight back into the crowds. Passing the Z-fighters by, he was left a path by the many hundreds of fighters stepping away from him. They didn't want to go near the cloaked fighter, fearful for their lives. No one had ever gotten such a high score, not even Hercule Satan. But no one was really sure. All they knew was that the Blind Bandit had officially become one dangerous opponent, and no one had the guts to stand in his way. Well…all but one.

Videl was still staring after the fighter as he disappeared, looking all the more surprised. It was as the crowds of fighters closed the gap did her curiosity and suspicions rose. Master Shao, the martial artist who stood beside her, just smiled and raised an eyebrow at the impression the Blind Bandit had on the other fighters. It was both amusing and amazing to see all the worldly fighters cower before his shadow.

"Well, he sure cleared the competition out, that's for sure," the master exclaimed. "That's definitely him. Quiet and calm as always…not at all self centered or prideful. Yet he's always so distant from most…" Videl glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. She found the master's amusement towards the situation quite odd, but didn't pressure any further. The girl just shook her head and turned back, her look becoming solid and serious again.

"_I should follow him…see what he's up to…"_ she thought. Leaving Shao's side, the raven haired girl sprinted through the crowds, weaving her way through and making her way after the cloaked fighter.

Finding it a lot harder then she realized getting through the crowds; Videl eventually broke through and into the clear area at the back. Looking around, the raven haired girl spotted the warrior making his way through yet another exit out of the pavilion. His pace was average, but he was really fast nonetheless. Furrowing her brow, the girl ran after him, following him through the archway. The fighters from the crowds who had watched the bandit leave were surprised to see Videl following him. But with the situation all the more critical for them, the subject was quickly dropped and most of the fighters in the preliminary area left, already giving up without a descent fight. Whatever the case, they didn't want to risk their lives for a shot at the 10,000,000 Zenie, it wasn't worth it!

Leaving the warm up pavilion behind, Videl ran after the Blind Bandit. Coming to a pause outside of the walls, she ended up in the fighter's recreation area and began looking around frantically. She spotted her target making his way down the path to her left. She followed after him, making sure she kept at a safe distance so she wasn't spotted. She kept back at about 15 meters, a good distance. After proceeding some ways down the track, the Blind Bandit then turned right, and disappeared round another building. Videl followed, slowing down as she came to the corner. She peaked round it, seeing the warrior walking down. He then stopped, surprising Videl who quickly ducked back behind the building. Did he know he was being followed?

After a moment's pause, the hooded fighter then continued on, walking quickly down this path towards some unknown area beyond the preliminaries. Videl, seeing him on the move again, followed. For quite some time she kept on his tail, not losing him for an instant and keeping him in her sights. When the blind fighter turned and began walking down a path on the right hand side, disappearing from sight again, Videl hurried to catch up. She looked around the corner and down the road he had turned into. She found to her shock and bewilderment that the cloaked warrior had gone further down the way then she had expected. And he was just walking! So, to keep up, she quickly sprinted after him. For some distance they continued this cat and mouse chase, and when the said fighter being followed disappeared again down a road to the left, Videl was there to see which way he would go next. But this time, she was at a loss.

Looking down that particular path, she gasped in surprise. The Blind Bandit had completely vanished. With her target out of sight, she walked out from her hiding place and began looking around frantically with wide eyes. "W-What the!" she exclaimed in shock. "W-W-Where did he go?" Her eyes went from left to right around the crossroad path she was stuck on, double checking the route she had last seen him turn into. Walking down that way a bit, she continued scanning the area, senses wide open. But after a minute or so, she gave up.

Sighing in disappointment and frustration, Videl decided to turn around and head back to the preliminary area. However, just as the raven haired girl turned around, she received quite a shock when she bumped into the one she was following. The hooded figure was standing right behind her, and in response to literally walking into him, the girl stepped back with a gasp. Looking up, she saw the masked fighter staring down at her through his blindfold, the long cloak he was wearing covering his whole body and leaving only his shadowed face in view under his hood. He stepped forward as the girl stepped back, forcing Videl to back off even more. The surprise of seeing him forced Videl to react instinctively and take a defensive stance. The girl's expression hardened into a fighting glare in a way to ward him off as it had worked countless times on other males, and when she took a stance, she hoped that he would back away.

"Alright mister: who are you and where did you come from?!" Videl growled at him, seeing him stop after a couple more steps forward. The guy looked so much like a ghost at that moment. He was incredibly quiet, and seemed to float as he walked, giving that sort of impression. "I'm warning you! If you don't start talking now I'm just going to have to get you to talk by force! So back away and start answering my questions!" If anyone was faced with these threats, they would immediately spill the beans. But the blind fighter standing in front of Videl, well…he kept silent and still.

Unnerved by the warrior's stare, Videl began to sweat nervously. Man, even if he wasn't saying anything the guy was making her feel small (even though she already stood to about his chest height). What was up with that? This sort of feeling never came by her. Anyway, after a few moments of edgy silence, the cloaked figure suddenly walked around her to the girl's left a bit, before starting to approach her again. Videl stepped away from him, not moving on to carrying out her threat as she did not want to get disqualified from the tournament, since someone was bound to find out. Just then, as the raven haired girl slowly backed away from the warrior, she began to think that maybe interrogating him here wasn't such a good idea after all. The girl looked all the more worried at this point, as she continued to step away, seeing the fighter come ever closer. It was then when Videl suddenly backed up into the wall of the building behind her, and she found herself cornered.

Looking around, the girl faced the fighter again and lowered her guard a bit. There was only one way out of this, and that way was to go straight through him. But the guy had her cornered so well that even the narrow exit she planned to use was not looking so good. Okay, now Videl was really starting to get worried. A moment later, the warrior stopped in front of her, so close that there was only an inch of a distance between them. Videl continued to sweat; trembling a bit from what she felt was fear. The guy was so close to her now she could hear him breathing. All the while, she asked herself: Why? Why wasn't she taking action against this? And what the hell was he planning to do here? It was then she said loudly to him. "What do you want with me?"

All she got was silence. But then, as she began to break underneath his blinded gaze, the figure suddenly reached up and lowered his hood, revealing his masked up face. The girl raised an eyebrow, her eyes settling on the once hooded area of his upper body. There was a head, added by a mouth and nose masked by a red scarf, with his eyes and forehead covered by a blindfold. On the blindfold around the forehead, there was a silver plate engraved with a fighting symbol that represented Mystic Dragon. Practically all of his head was covered except his ears and hair. She noticed that the guy had black, spiky hair that defied gravity and stood on end. However, there were two bangs of it that didn't, and hung over his forehead. As she continued to make out these distinct features of his mask etc., the young warrior suddenly reached for his scarf and pulled it down, revealing his mouth and nose. His smooth, clear skin shone despite the shadows cast over them, and there was a young adult tone edged in the exposed areas of flesh Videl could see. All the while, the raven haired girl wondered what he was doing.

Suddenly, the warrior moved forward a bit more, raising his right hand out from under his cloak again and reaching out to her. The girl backed away all she could to avoid his hand, but couldn't, since she was already pinned against the wall. Videl had half a mind of calling for help, but that was out of the question since the areas around her were completely deserted. So, instead of calling for help or making any attempt to stop him, she just watched and felt as his hand came around and ran across her face. His strong, exposed hand was warm and smooth. The light touch against Videl's skin sent shivers down her spine, making the girl feel very odd inside, a feeling she had never felt before. The masked man then ran his fingers over her forehead and then her lips, tracing them with a sense of affection. After which he moved his hand and ran it through her hair, stroking the pigtail on her left side and twiddling it. Videl was caught completely off guard by his actions, and was so caught up in these strange sensations of warmth, attracting heat and embarrassment that she actually blushed under his touch.

The girl smiled and looked away, closing her eyes. She felt his hand reach her cheek again and stroke it for a moment, but then was lifted away. Videl opened her eyes and looked up at him in surprise, only to see him smile and dip his head in closer. His mouth moved around to her ear and, catching her off guard again, she heard him whisper. "You're so beautiful…" Videl was really hit on home by this. The way he said it, and how his hot breath tickled the side of her neck and ear, it was such a big turn on. His voice was filled with lust and want, making her feel more restless. Videl blushed brightly, eyes widening as she let out a slight gasp at his words.

The warrior then moved his head in a bit more, hovering around her hair and sniffing in the air. When he breathed out, he let out a subtle moan of satisfaction and shuddered, before moving in closer. This movement closed the gap in between them, and Videl felt his weight shift onto her. To accompany this, she also felt his right hand place itself upon her hip and his left hand move up and place itself on her left side. From here, he proceeded to rub her skin through her shirt. His cheek rubbed up against Videl's cheek, a purring sound emitted from his lips. From these administrations, Videl shut her eyes and leaned into him, her breasts pressing against his chest and a moan escaping her own lips as she felt his warm hand stroke her side. Already, she started to feel hot all over, especially between her legs. As a result, she began rubbing her thighs together, whilst reveling in this feeling of pleasure. She was so turned on by this, it was shocking.

After a minute or so, the young warrior pulled away and looked down at her through his blind fold. Videl opened her eyes to where they were half-lidded and looked up at him in kind. She trembled, mostly out of the pleasure driven weaknesses she felt under his touch. The young warrior smiled, receiving a smile back from the girl in his arms. Suddenly, in a surprising move unanticipated by any, the partially unmasked warrior dipped his head in quickly and caught the raven haired girl's lips in a deep, heated and tender kiss. The girl's eyes widened in shock, and she blushed even more. Blinking in surprise, the girl allowed this contact of lips to continue, before she too closed her eyes and responded to the kiss in kind. Placing her hands against his chest, she felt his right arm lace around her and pull her closer. Their chests grinded together as they deepened the kiss, with Videl's left leg beginning to un up and down the blind fighter's inner calf. She could easily feel muscle underneath his clothes, and began to get ideas. Videl looked and felt like she was in heaven…

But suddenly, as quickly as they had moved in to kiss, the warrior pulled away, surprising Videl greatly. He glanced to his right, senses extending. He sensed somebody was coming. Disappointed, he released the girl he was kissing, with Videl pulling away in response and panting heavily from the heat of the moment. As per practiced routine, the young warrior pulled up his scarf mask, tied it back around and pulled over his hood. With one last glance at the girl, he turned on his heel and left in a blink of an eye, disappearing around the corner.

Videl was astounded. After several more breaths of air, the girl fixed up her shirt and walked around the corner the Blind Bandit had taken stride down. She saw the fighter walking away, disappearing shortly as he had done so before. It was after she had him fixated in his sights did Videl smile dazedly; a blush remaining imprinted on her cheeks and her eyes wavering. Her once neatly done up hair was now messy from the moment's passion that had ensued them both.

"_Wow! He's…amazing…"_ she thought, pleasure stricken. The feeling of his lips against hers and the sense of warm touch of his hands that once roamed her body remained, enveloping her. But then, Videl was shaken out of her dream like state as her regular self kicked back into action. Finally she remembered why she was out here. Shaking her head, she glared up again seriously, still hot in the face but looking a tad outraged. "What the hell! The nerve of that guy!" she growled, her mind also screaming at her, but in a different sense. "_To think I can be seduced so easily!"_ The blush remained.

"Well…he hasn't got me licked just yet! I'll show him!" It was at that moment two monks walked past her, engaged in deep conversation and too busy to even take notice of her. The raven haired girl just fisted her hands and stormed off, leaving this part of the stadium and heading back to the preliminary area.

"_I'll get him back for that!"_ she thought furiously, the blush failing to leave. Though she had to admit, he was a really good kisser…

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_

****

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_ I wanted the first meetings between Gohan and Videl to be steamy. It's been a long time, so Gohan has an immediate, incredible attraction towards Videl for several other reasons I will explain later on. However, she doesn't know who he is yet, so when I proceed with the story she's going to get a lot of other surprises. Hope you liked this chapter. Oh, and Happy New Year. 


	38. Roll On

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Roll On_

_**Half an Hour Later…**_

The Z-fighters had just left the preliminary area, and were heading towards the stadium where the fights for the World Martial Arts Tournament were being held. Having easily creamed their competition back at the punch machine in the preliminary area (with Vegeta destroying the infernal contraption instead of holding back as planned), the group planned to pass the time by going to watch Goten and Trunks' fights. After weaving through the vast compound behind the main structure, they eventually got to ring side up in the large stands built up around the square ring at the base. When they got there, they saw hundreds or maybe thousands of people cheering loudly and applauding excitedly. It was no wonder, since the junior division was already underway. Taking stride, the Z-fighters made their way up to the top part of the stadium and onto the upper walkway. Taking places on a really good vantage point, they looked down at the ring and began watching as well. The cheering from the crowds was understandable, since the fight going on was quite entertaining too.

Having been absent for the first half hour, the Z-fighters caught up with what had happened so far. It was obvious Goten and Trunks were flying through their opposition one after another easily, and were on there way to the finals. However, there were also a lot of things to awe over. As they watched the fights go on below, Goku and Krillin began checking out the entire stadium. It was, to put it in a simple enough phrase, a magnificent splendor. The very stands themselves were well built, but aside from that, the ring far below had increased several sizes over the past years they were gone. Piccolo was also taking the time to check out the scenery. Above the hundreds of people watching the fights and the battle already taking place, he had to admit, things have definitely leaned in their direction.

"Man, would you look at that!" Goku exclaimed cheerfully as he leaned up against the railings, Krillin standing beside him. Vegeta and 18# hung back, arms crossed and glaring over the pair's shoulders to see what was happening. They didn't really care much to what was going on, so passed the time by keeping to themselves and their own thoughts. Piccolo had moved closer just to get a better look, and stood behind Krillin.

"I know! Boy, this is going to be big!" the monk exclaimed. "Not only do we get hundreds of spectators, but we get a bigger ring too!"

Piccolo, who had been listening in on their exclamations, nodded with a smile of delight. It was the first one seen in ages. "That's a good thing on our part," the Namekian stated. "Makes for better fighting…"

"Let's see: plenty of room, plenty of people, plenty of air space!" Goku said, listing the things in order while holding up one finger on his right hand for every point. In the meantime he was checking out the layout of the ring and the skies above him, seeing no interfering aircraft or ceiling. Grinning, he looked back down. "Now, all we need is a challenge!"

"Excuse me!" Vegeta called out behind him, catching the Saiyan's attention. Looking back, you could see a very offended Saiyan Prince standing at the back of the group. "If you don't mind, you can hold your tongue on the challenge bit!" he then glared hard at him. "Perhaps you have forgotten that _I'm_ here!"

Goku and Krillin blinked at him, but then grinned nervously and waved to him.

"R-Right…" Krillin stuttered.

"Sorry Vegeta!" Goku said. "Almost forgot about you!" The flame haired warrior spat and turned away, staring off in some other direction with a look of distaste written all over him. Goku and Krillin turned their backs to him again, and looked down onto the ring. Goku smiled with delight, continuing on where he had left off.

"Wow, I've never seen so many people at a fight before!" the spiky haired Saiyan exclaimed. "Just hope we don't hurt anyone when we get up there!" Krillin nodded with a grin.

"Let's hope that nobody gets hurt when Goten and Trunks step up onto the ring!" the former monk exclaimed. He had to lift himself up a bit off the floor to be able to lean over the railings. When he did, he looked down at stands and isles below him, seeing the people perform a Mexican wave right before his very eyes. He laughed in amusement at this and raised a fist, punching it in the air. "Yeah! Go whoever is fighting right now! YAY!!!"

If it wasn't for the cheering already, some eyes from the crowds below would have turned to Krillin in surprise. However, with the fight below attention getting enough, no one paid any attention to the man above them. As Krillin whooped and shouted, Goku looked up a bit and lifted his hand to rest above his eyes. Enhancing his view this way, he began looking over the vast waves of people from left to right. The naïve Saiyan warrior blinked in puzzlement.

"Hey, I wonder where Chi-Chi and the others are," Goku said. "They sure do blend into the crowd…" That would have to be taken into consideration. How can you miss two screeching women, a celebrity baseballer and his wife, a floating cat, a pig, an old man over a hundred years old, a Krillin resembling girl with blonde hair, and a anthropomorphic Ox-King? Gee, shouldn't be too hard to miss.

It was after a moment's searching Goku tried a different approach. Closing his eyes, he extended his energy frequency over the entire area and sent out a signal. When it connected, the older Saiyan began to speak in his mind. _"Chi-Chi…are you there? Where are you?"_ Goku asked.

"_We're here Goku!"_ the woman on the other end of the line replied, a little annoyed that her husband had to suddenly butt in. _"What was it you asked me again? Sorry, I'm a bit off hearing. The crowds are really wild…" _Goku smiled in success, opening his eyes and looking out once more.

"_I said: where are you?"_ the Saiyan repeated as his eyes shifted._ "We just got out of the preliminaries and are up on the walkways above the stands. We'll be staying to watch Goten and Trunks fight before we head off to get tagged to see who we'll be pitted against in the Adult Division of the tournament. I just want to know where you guys are…"_

"_Easy!"_ Chi-Chi exclaimed. _"Just look across to the other side of the stadium by the third-centre isle! You can see us there!"_ Goku furrowed his brow and looked out across the way. Squinting to get a better look, the Saiyan began marking out person after person in the crowds, narrowing down on his targets. After a few seconds of searching the colorful areas, he eventually spotted the rest of the group. He could see Chi-Chi and Bulma waving across to them, joined by Marron, Ren and Yamcha. They all looked quite happy, and were set in a great row of seats. Goku grinned and waved back.

"HEY! Whoa…AAAAAAAHH!" The Saiyan was cut short when he suddenly lost his footing and began to topple over the side of the railings, as he had leaned too far over to get a better look across the stadium. Quickly, Krillin leapt off his post and grabbed Goku's legs, holding him in place. However, because of the size and weight differences between the two of them, Goku came incredibly close to falling completely over, and was left to hang. Panicking for a moment, the Saiyan soon realized he was saved and Krillin was relieved his friend didn't bowl over. With Goku hanging limply over the side and Krillin holding onto him tightly, they both sighed. Piccolo, Vegeta and 18# all gave them odd looks before looking up and sighing in dismay. Those two were impossible!

Chi-Chi, Bulma and the others, who could see clearly to the other side where Goku and the others were, saw the commotion going on and all of them sweat dropped. Chi-Chi groaned and slapped her forehead, whereas Bulma crossed her arms, closed her eyes and shook her head. Yamcha blinked, grinning a moment later and letting out a laugh.

"That's Goku for yah, always hanging in there," the baseballer exclaimed. Ren propped her chin in her hand and glanced over to the other side. At that very moment, Krillin was struggling to pull Goku up, with the Saiyan going into hysterics and attracting a lot of attention. It was after a few seconds of their unfortunate efforts did a couple of the monks come rushing up to help pull the Saiyan back onto the walkway. Yet they still struggled, and it didn't help with Goku's newly arisen panic shouts.

"Actually, I kind of find his performance quite interesting," the brown haired woman exclaimed before glancing over at Yamcha in puzzlement. "Didn't you say he was really strong, Yamcha?" she asked. The fighter chuckled and turned to his wife with a smile.

"Yup, but he's always getting into some sort of trouble," he replied. The Ox-King laughed.

"That's right, I remember those days perfectly. Goku always got into a fight with someone, but always pulled through to the end. Stuff like _this_ happened to him on a number of occasions," the giant stated, thumbing over to the commotion still going on. The monks and Krillin had managed to pull Goku up, and now he was hanging on by his hands for dear life. Come on! It wasn't that far a drop! Sure it would hurt any ordinary person, but Goku was way different. He's afraid of a small fall, as well as a needle. What's next?

Oolong, glancing up at the others, scowled at them. "Excuse me, I'm trying to watch the fight here!" he growled. "It's nice of you guys to talk, but can we discuss Goku's life some other time?!"

The pig had a point there. So, gathering up their senses, the Z-gang on this section of the stadium stands continued to watch the fighting going on far below. They tore all attention away from the situation on the other side and waited with anticipation for Goten and Trunks' fight in the finals. It was sure to be big. However, when they turned away from the sight ahead of them, they missed a hilarious take when Goku lost his grip on the railing bars and fell to the isle 30 feet below. The monks and Krillin watched him crash to the ground below, all of them startled. Piccolo, 18# and Vegeta did nothing but stare.

And so, the junior division dragged on. Moving from match to match, children entrants pitting against each other like two lion cubs over a piece of meat. Even though it wasn't as intense or rough as the Adult Division, it was still fun to watch. Goku eventually pulled himself from his predicament on the floor below, and returned to the others on the walkways above him. His newly formed bruise from the fall was covered by two, magically produced band aids crisscrossing his forehead. Despite this, the Saiyan watched on with the others as the fights continued. Goten and Trunks were seen, with both of them winning their matches easily. Soon, their appearances grew more and more frequent, leading up to the point where they eventually came up onto the ring for their fight in the final round.

The old announcer Goku and Krillin remembered from their days of participating in the World Tournament, stood in front of the entrance to the waiting area where the fighters would have to wait when it came to their turn. When he did, he raised his right hand and began to speak. _**"Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for your patience!"**_ he shouted. _**"Now we can finally move on to the finals of this junior division competition! As you have seen today, so many children have started out and have fought it all out in the ring, but now we're down to just two. And yes, I believe you know who we're talking about! Please come out Goten and Trunks, our two finalists!!!"**_

The crowds all let out cheers and shouts of excitement at the hearing of these two names. It was just a second after they had started cheering Goten and Trunks stepped out of the warm up room and into plain view, coming to stand on either side of the fight commentator. When they were set under the eyes of the audience, the cheering and applause grew louder, and so did the excitement. The Z-fighters had waited patiently for this moment, and were eager to see a real fight now. The commentator smiled down at the two little warriors on either side of him and began to walk forward with them, leading them to the ring. _**"We have seen a lot of action and fighting here today people, and there have been many casualties. But having easily swept the floor with their opponents, Trunks and Goten have made it to the tops. The question is now, who will be the victor? Well, lets find out, shall we!!!"**_ More cheering erupted, echoing like thunder across the stadium and through the air. Everyone was eager to see a good fight between the two.

As the two chibis proceeded up the stairs, they smiled at each other and nodded.

"Don't think I'm going to go easy on you this time, Goten," Trunks exclaimed. The miniature Goku just smiled back.

"I'm counting on that," the spiky haired half Saiyan replied. When the two reached the centre of the ring, they split up.

They walked out and away from each other, eyes glanced back and backs turned. It was after venturing out at equal intervals across the white tiled ring did they eventually come to a stop and turned to each other. With battle ready smirks on their faces, they glared each other down, eyes glinting with that easily recognizable sense of excitement that only a Saiyan could feel. It was then, under the cheers and cries of excitement, did the tournament commentator begin to speak up again. This time it was the words the two young fighters were waiting for.

"_**Alright…let's get this fight underway! Begin!!!"**_ the announcer shouted, giving them the thumbs up. Then, after a loud cheer in response from the crowds, Goten and Trunks dropped into their preferred fighting stances, and glared at each other.

For a moment, the two of them remained in their positions, the crowds keeping careful eyes locked onto them. Chi-Chi's group was cheering along with the hundreds of people in the stands around them, with the mother's of both Goten and Trunks calling out the loudest, encouraging them both. It was like a competition up here too between Chi-Chi and Bulma, to see who had the stronger child. The rest of the Z-fighters, made up of Goku, Krillin, Piccolo, 18#, and Vegeta, had moved closer to the railings of the walkway and were looking down with anticipation. A couple of them were excited, the rest were just watching. If anyone could give off a good show now, it was these two kids. They had had play fights before, but now, things were a little bit more serious then before. This would decide who was the stronger!

After some time has passed, the two continued to glare down at each other, moving their hands a bit to adjust their guards. Then, all at once, they attacked. Charging at each other, the two Saiyan children clashed together in the centre, locking elbow and driving them in at their opponent. The result was an earth trembling shockwave and a hard stand off between the two. The crowds cheered wildly, seeing the two children finally hit it off with a bang. It was then after connecting elbows did the two chibis finally turn it up a bit more. Forcing each other off with a guard break, Goten and Trunks staggered back. Both of them were practically at the same level of strength, and the rebounding forces from both their guard breaks were able to knock them both back. It was after staggering back a couple of steps, the two of them suddenly lost balance. As a result, they took control of their falls and pushed themselves into back flips. Flipping back twice, increasing distance between them, the two landed on their feet and then shot at their opponents once more at full speed. With yells of strength, the two of them met in the centre of the ring again and engaged in a powered up battle. Exchanging flurries of wild punches, kicks, elbows, knees and other assorted combinations, Goten and Trunks began fighting it all out.

Not moving in either direction, the two of them moved across the ring, still locked in that fired up battle. They floated above the ground, drifting towards the side a bit as they fought and circled each other. All the while fists flew and small shockwaves of force rang up. Then, after throwing similar jabs at each other, resulting in both their fists connecting, they were knocked flying back. Soaring backwards on their own accord, they both skidded to a stop and then leapt into the air, flying straight at each other still. They met at the centre once more, engaging in yet another furious fist fight. Blows made contact with parries and blocks, all the while the crowds around them gazed in shock.

No one had expected a fight like this, especially when the two boys were hovering above the ground! To add to it, the assaults the two laid hard down on each other were the fastest anyone had ever seen. Their fists and kicks were like blurs flying through the air, striking at each other with enough power to stop train and avalanches. The furious battle raging on above the ground drifted across the skies, the two fighters not letting up for a second. The only people who could see the fight clearly for what it was were Goku's group and Chi-Chi's group. Neither of them had to struggle to see clearly what was happening or see what combinations they were using. It all appeared normally for them, and was sure hell exciting too. Both children were really letting off steam. It was then after gazing up at them for several more seconds did the two of them begin taking it to the limit. They super speeded out of sight, reappearing some distance away and throwing singular movement attacks. Before their attacks even had a chance to land, they both super speeded out of sight and reappeared several meters away again, dropped to a lower altitude and attacking each other. This process continued, with both half Saiyan's flashing in and out of sight. It was shocking, the speed that they used. The crowds barely got a glimpse of them.

"Man, look at them go!" Goku exclaimed.

"I know!" Krillin replied. "Boy, those two sure are strong!" the former monk continued, eyes shifting through the skies, following the two young fighters.

"They've both got Saiyan blood in them. What else do you expect?" Vegeta said while coming to stand next to Goku and Krillin, arms crossed and narrowed eyes watching the two boys fight. "No less then what you have now," the Saiyan Prince finished his statement, a smirk growing on his face.

Seeing how well both kids were doing made their father's grin. Both Goten and Trunk were really ripping it, breaking the boundaries blocking man from the impossible. They may just be children, but the fact that they were brought up by two of the strongest beings on this planet meant that they were more then that. They were young warriors in the making!

Flashing out of super speed, Trunks charged across the skies, spinning around as he flew on. Goten reappeared in front of him, easily sensing his opponent coming at him from behind. Turning around he held up his right arm and growled, feeling his opponent crash into him with a hard jab. The blow collided with Goten's block, and a split second later, they disappeared after that small shock wave died. It was following up this attack more shock waves began coursing across the skies, with the momentum driven attacks continuing. The attack and defense plays averted between both fighters, so that they both got their share of damages. Appearing once again out of thin air, both Goten and Trunks charged, throwing the same right fist at each other. The two attacks collided, shaking the skies with another shockwave. Both children growled with the effort, pushing off from each other and quickly zapping into super speed. They continued their pursuit game through the skies, out of sight of the people. The only tell tale signs of both children were the shockwaves ringing out one after another, with two blurs shooting around through the empty air space.

Soon enough, the two fighters shot straight back down to the ring below, hurling at each other immediately after touching down. As they charged, they suddenly flipped around and flew at each other foot first. They kicked at each other, legs weaving round each other's attacks with their feet deeply embedding into their faces, hitting both of them hard with a shockwave and sending both of them flying back. They gained a bit of altitude, quickly curling up and spinning to slow their flight path back down. Then they fell, uncurling and push off, locking fists in the centre of the ring upon reach each other. With yells of effort and shouts made with every attack they launched, they engaged in another brawl, flurries of punches sent at each other one after another. As they fought floating just a foot above the ground, dust and debris suddenly began to lift into the air, clouding some view of them. But slowly, as their flight abilities kicked in, they began to float higher and higher into the air, still attacking with outstanding ferocity. The crowds stared wide eyed and watched as the two of them slowly lifted off of the ground. Their fight once again taken to the skies, Goten and Trunks finished off their long brawl with a final punch. Goten threw his left fist across Trunks' face and Trunks threw his right fist across Goten's face. Both attacks collided, making imprint in their struck cheeks and knocking them both back. As they both drifted away from each other, staggered, they recovered quickly and changed tactics.

Wanting to get the upper hand, Trunks cranked back his right hand and threw it forward, firing off a golden ki blast at his opponent. Goten immediately fazed out and reappeared above it, both hands thrown back. When the spiky haired child threw his hands forward after Trunks' attack streaked off and faded into the distance, the young Saiyan unleashed a barrage of five blue energy balls at his opponent; a specialty attack. The grey haired child on the receiving end of the barrage glowered as the attacks came at him. Reacting decisively, he quickly held out his left hand and fired off an invisible ki shield. The force of that barrier attack struck the five blue energy balls, incinerating all of them. Goten was knocked back by the resounding shockwave from Trunks' blast and spun back, out of control. He quickly stopped himself, arms and legs held out. Gritting his teeth, Goten assumed a stance and powered up, his white aura springing around him. With a yell, he charged at his opponent with amazing speeds that not even Vegeta could have anticipated from the six year old. In a flash, Goten appeared directly in front of Trunks and sent a mind-boggling hook across his face. The seven year old was knocked staggered by the blow, but immediately after being hit, Trunks growled and powered up. Still at close quarters with his opponent, he retaliated by sending a right hook across Goten's face. But the child was fast enough to react to this, and caught Trunks' fist.

The two glowing boys were locked in that position, gritting teeth and glaring at one another. Then, with the position assumed, Trunks broke out of it. He pitched his left fist forward in a grapple break, only for Goten to release his right fist and block the punch before the attack could land. Instantly after both of them were thrown back, they flew straight back in and began fighting again. More flurries of attacks flew, the blurs of fists and kicks evident with the crowds watching with awe. The Z-fighters were cheering them both on, with Goku and Krillin throwing those encouraging shouts of theirs above the silence. Even so, neither Goten nor Trunks could hear them, as they continued fighting. No shockwaves came of this, as most of their blows weren't strong enough to create any. However, that didn't mean that their attacks weren't powerful. At their age they could cripple even Frieza at _his_ best. They brawled it all out, Trunks suddenly getting knocked back by one of Goten's punches, his aura disappearing. With a yell, he charged forward, sending a punch at the air Goten was.

The chibi flashed out of sight, with Trunks passing through an after image. Just then, Goten reappeared behind his opponent, hurling straight at him with his left fist cranked back. Trunks sensed his friend making an attack and quickly spun around, sending a left hook across Goten's face. The blow and point of striking was incredible, as being blind sighted usually altered the efficiency of an attack. But Trunks' blow was a lucky shot, with Goten being thrown back. However, as he was sent away, the child managed to recover in his fall and immediately threw a right roundhouse kick across his opponent's face, also staggering Trunks. Goten grinned, seeing he had hit and repositioned himself in the air, stopping his fall. With his stance assured, he threw both hands forward and unleashed a powerful, gold ki blast that shot through the air and straight at his friend. Trunks was hit, point blank range, with the explosion engulfing him in a cloud of smoke.

Goten quickly leapt back, retreating to about 10 meters from the cloud of smoke and taking a defensive stance. Suddenly, another golden ki blast shot out of the cloud and straight at Goten. The child moved out of the way as it shot past and into the distance, heading straight for the ocean where it was crash safely. Just then, Trunks came flying out of the cloud of smoke, which dissipated from his escape. The boy was looking a bit bruised up, with his gi disheveled from the last attack. When he was out, he flashed into super speed and quickly maneuvered around Goten, who had managed to get a lock on him. The spiky haired boy gasped as he spun around, eyes widened. Trunks used his surprise to attack, bringing his left hand back and fisting it before sending a hook straight across Goten's face. The powered up blow sent his opponent plummeting, spinning out of control. As the chibi fell, Trunks brought his left hand forward and, powering up an attack, sent a ki blast straight down at him. The blast shot through the air and flew straight down at its target like a meteor. By the time it was half way, Goten had already reached ground level on the ring.

Landing on the ring on his hands and knees, the Saiyan child glared up with his teeth gritted and eyes flaring. When he saw the blast coming down at him, he quickly pushed off the ground to the side, leaping away as the blast struck the ground where he once was. The blast exploded, sending a cloud of dust, smoke and debris into the air. Goten landed away, on his hands and knees again, crouching like an actual Tiger. Then, looking away from the explosion and glaring up, he suddenly saw a whole rain of ki blasts coming down at him, forcing him to take action. Goten began rolling out of the way, moving fast as the blasts struck every position he was before. These weak attacks drove him back, cracking the ground everywhere they landed. Trunks intended to end this quick, by making Goten roll off of the edge or come close to it.

The crowds watched in shock, while the Z-fighters cheered them on. Bulma and Chi-Chi were shouting, telling their son's to get a hold of themselves and keep it up. The rest of the group was just watching with grins on their faces, all of them getting a kick out of this battle. Goku and Krillin were watching the two kids fight with delight, whereas Piccolo and 18# were awing and Vegeta was smirking. The prince could see his son gaining the upper hand, what with Goten's careless retreat and slowly growing exhaustion. It would be over soon.

"Hah, you're boy doesn't stand a chance Kakarot!" Vegeta exclaimed. "Trunks is going to win this easy!"

Goku smiled. "Maybe…maybe not, Vegeta!" the Saiyan replied. "Just wait and see. You never know, Goten might win this one. Fights can turn either way in an instant!" With all eyes still plastered down on the fight, Krillin waved his fist in the air.

"Come on you two!" the former monk shouted. "Stop jumping around and show us what you can really do!"

As the gang up on the walkway continued to watch, with Goten still leaping around down on the ring, this time getting to his feet and jumping from spot to spot, Goku and Krillin were suddenly joined by the cloaked warrior from before.

The Blind Bandit now stood a meter beside them; eyes uncovered, hood lowered but scarf mask still up. His eyes were clearly fixated on the ring as he leaned against the side of the railings. He was quiet, and watching the movements of both half Saiyan's. The Z-fighters here didn't even know he was right beside them, until he spoke up.

"Goten is going to win this one," he stated. The gang jumped at this, but turned to him in surprise. Krillin blinked, looking a little startled.

"R-Really?" the former monk asked. Vegeta, after staring in surprise at the newly arrived fighter, scowled and turned on him, uncrossing his arms. The nerve of the cloaked warrior saying that his son was going to lose wanted him to go over there and give him a crack across the face.

"Nonsense, you have no idea what you're talking about!" the Saiyan Prince growled, pointing down at the ring. "As you can see, my son has Kakarot's brat on the ropes! There's no way he can win at that rate!"

The warrior lowered his head, eyes flickering. "Oh really," he whispered. "Then perhaps you might want to take a closer look at Goten's maneuverability…"

Vegeta and everyone else raised eyebrows towards him before glancing back down at the ring. They saw Goten continue to leap around, yelling every time he narrowly avoided one of Trunks' attacks. The group couldn't tell who was winning or not, and didn't know what the blind fighter was getting at. But then, they saw that the guy really wasn't blind as he had his blindfold pulled up. They all glanced back at him, Piccolo scowling at him.

"Well…I'm stumped," the Namekian stated. "I don't see how Goten can possibly win. He's getting bombarded down there. His energy will be exhausted by the time Trunks stops…"

The warrior smiled under his mask. "Oh…well that's what I'm pointing out," he exclaimed calmly. "You see, Goten's dodging as a defense allows him to conserve a whole mass of energy for the rest of the fight without fully exhausting himself. Because both he and Trunks are standing on equal ground with their power levels almost exactly the same, Trunks has to put forth more energy into his blasts to increase their speed in order to try and hit his opponent. However, in terms of distance and focus placed into avoiding the barrages, Goten is able to sense the incoming attacks and avoid them with little effort imposed on his body. Therefore, Trunks is exhausting more energy with his foolish attempts to drive his opponent out of the ring, crippling his chances of victory…look…"

The Z-fighters looked up to where Trunks was floating. They could see the young Saiyan fire off another barrage, before suddenly stopping to catch his breath. The grey haired Saiyan panted for a moment before bringing up both his hands again and aiming them at the ground. But because of his exhaustion, his aim was a bit off. So when he fired off another barrage, the attacks landed a meter outside their intended targets, with Goten leaping out of the way and charging across the ring, easily avoiding the incoming attacks. The blasts exploded with little or no effort, missing their target by far. Everyone saw to their shock that the Blind Bandit was right.

"Dang, Trunks is losing!" Krillin exclaimed.

"And Goten is still in the game," 18# stated, glancing over at the blind warrior. She saw him dip his head forward a bit before she began to speak towards him. "How do you know so much about this sort of fighting?" she asked. The rest of the Z-gang on this walkway turned to him, giving him curious stares or serious glares. The warrior just sighed and shrugged.

"I don't know…it just occurs naturally to me…" That was easily a lie. Giving him an odd glance, the gang turned back to the ring below to watch the rest of the fight.

Goten had charged straight across the ring, followed by the explosions of raining energy blasts from above. After reaching the edge, the child skidded to a stop and, cranking back, the child flashed into super speed, the series of blasts striking the very edge he once stood and taking off a whole chunk of concrete. Trunks stopped, having lost sight of his opponent. Panting, the child looked around, searching the ring for his target. However, because he was unable to lock onto any sign of Goten, he left himself wide open. Goten appeared right in front of him, shocking the chibi. It was then the spiky haired child sent a mind-boggling punch at his friend, sending him staggering back from the shockwave rebounding blow. As Trunks floated back, Goten flashed behind him and sent a flip kick into his back. The one-two combination sent Trunks flying straight down to the ground, the grey haired kid opening his eyes to see the ring closing in and the wind rushing past. Gathering his senses and recovering as quickly as possible, Trunks growled and fisted his hands. Then, in one mighty burst of effort, he powered up, flashing to Super Saiyan before he hit the ground. When he did, he was able to pull out of his fall and land on his feet without any more damage. The crowds gasped, seeing the once grey haired boy become a blonde haired delinquent.

The Z-fighters were amazed, with Vegeta's confidence rising a bit when he saw his son transform. But his smirk was soon to be wiped away when Goten landed 20 meters behind Trunks and also transformed. His golden aura sprang up around him, his eyes flashing teal as a further attribute. With their strengths boosted, they were ready to fight once again. Trunks turned around, coming to face his opponent. Upon sighting him, he dropped into a stance, followed by Goten as their auras warped fiercely. Goku, Krillin and Piccolo gazed with further interest, while Vegeta and 18# glared and the Blind Bandit just stared. Even though his face was covered, you could see in his eyes how surprised he was.

"_Goten and Trunks are already Super Saiyans?"_ he thought. _"Wow…and I thought I was the only one to have reached that level at their age…"_

"Come on Goten! Beat him!" Chi-Chi cried out.

"Go Trunks, Go! You can win this!" Bulma cried out as well. The two women glared at each other, giving each other the cold stare and sticking their tongues out at one another. They then turned back to the ring, curious to see what'll happen.

Everything went off with a blast. Goten held his hands out and pulled them back, golden orbs of energy falling. With a grin, he threw his hands forward and unleashed a barrage of golden energy balls surrounded by blue electricity. The series of blasts hurled through the air at Trunks' position. Instead of hitting their opponent, they hit the ring, exploding with great efficiency. Trunks had taken wing, as he had leapt into the air before the barrage had struck him. With a yellow he threw his hands back and then threw them forward, unleashing his signature move.

"DOUBLE-BUSTER!!!!" he yelled, firing the powerful, golden ki blast from his hands. The attacks shot at the little Goku standing some ways down. When it appeared the attack would hit, Goten suddenly disappeared, and the blast struck nothing but tiles, lightning up in a incredible explosion that sent smoke and debris flying. Goten then appeared in the previous path of the attack, his energy still warping around him as he punched into a charge. Both Goten and trunks flew at each other, becoming locked in a mind-boggling brawl. Fists and kicks flew, the two of them circling the air as they attacked each other. Their charged auras enveloped them both, shining brightly and lighting up their positions as they fought. The crowds sat, gawking in complete shock.

As the two of them came in with another assault, they suddenly flashed into super speed, taking their fight into yet another dimension. Suddenly, shockwaves began ringing out, this time their attacks becoming strength enhanced and far more effective then before. Unseen by most in the stadium, everyone tried to catch a glimpse of the two now super powered kids. Shockwaves exploded close to the ground, as well as close to the stands where the people sat, causing people to cry out in fear of being knocked down. But as the fight dragged on, it soon became clear that Goten and Trunks had taken their battle far out of harms way. It won't last. A victor would have to be decided at the end of this, if not any.

Seconds past, and the shockwaves continued ringing out. But then, the two boys made their appearance again. Both of them appeared on the ring, Goten standing with his back turned to his opponent and his aura still pulsing around him. Trunks also appeared, however the child's aura was no longer warping around him, except he was still in Super Saiyan form. As they were coming into focus, Kid Trunks then broke into a sprint, charging at his opponent and pulling his left fist back. With a yell, he drove his punch forward at Goten's head. But with his speed and strength wavering, he was unable to gather the necessary strength he had before to make his blow count, and so when his fist came in, Goten spun around and caught it. Pulling his friend forward, Goten sent a knee into his friend's stomach and then an elbow across the seven-year-olds face. Trunks was driven back, the kid back flipping away before landing elsewhere somewhere a bit to Goten's right. Dropping into a stance, Trunks powered up with a yell before hurling himself at the chibi ahead of him. Goten charged in kind, both of them fazing out and taking their fight across the ring. Locked in extreme close quarter combat, the two of them exchanged blows continuously, flashing in and out of sight while yelling with every attack they threw. Trunks attempted to gain the upper hand, but with his energy spent, it left his defenses a little bit slacked.

As he was coming in with a new assault, Goten struck out quickly with a couple of punches across his friend's face, staggering him before finishing off with a right roundhouse kick across Trunks' face. The two of them leapt out of super speed and reappeared, Trunks skidding across the ring before taking a stance after stopping. It was then he lost his balance, falling to his knee and panting with exhaustion. Looking up, the weakened Super Saiyan watched Goten fly at him, unable to muster up enough strength to block Goten's next attacks. As he staggered back, Goten appeared in front of him and, with an upper cut to Trunks' stomach, lifted him off the ground. The younger of the two then grabbed his opponent's leg and drove forward, bringing the tired one into a dragon toss. Spinning around on the spot, Goten threw Trunks across the ring towards the out of bounds area, his friend unable to stop himself as he was sent over the side and crashing into the grassy area below. Moments later, Trunks powered down, unable to hold it. This left Goten standing in the ring on his own, a happy grin on his face.

Their fight was over…

The commentator, who had remained awake throughout the whole thing without going into a series of gawking, stepped up onto the ring with his microphone in hand and let out a cheer. _**"Ladies and gentlemen, it has been decided! Young Son Goten is the winner!!!"**_ he called. It took only a second or two for this to sink in, and slowly, with the crowds returning to earth, a mass of cheering and applause went up. Whoops of satisfaction echoed all around, accompanied by chanting of Goten's name and calls of congratulations. It was at Goten's victory the child leapt into the air and shouted out in delight.

"I won! HA-HA-HA!!!" the six-year-old shouted in joy, powering down when he landed.

The Z-fighters were also overjoyed at his victory, even though they were cheering for both of them. Chi-Chi was bounding around, hugging Puar who she was suffocating. Bulma was sitting, a bit disappointed that her son had lost. Everyone else around them was in a union of calls of congratulations and chants. Goku, Krillin and the others up on the walkway were also singing their praises. 18# and Piccolo were clapping their hands, whereas Goku and Krillin were cheering as well. Vegeta was in a state of depression, scowling over at the others.

"Yay! Goten won! I can't believe it!" Goku exclaimed.

"Man, Goku! You sure raise one hell of a kid!" Krillin said, leaning over the railing and giving a cheer for Goten. Goku nodded.

"Yeah…amazing isn't it…huh?" Goku was suddenly cut short as he was now glancing down to the place where the Blind Bandit once stood. When the gang realized that the fighter's statements were true and that Goten had one, they too turned towards the area where he once stood close by. It came as sort of a surprise to them when they saw that he had disappeared. No longer standing here, it made the gang wonder if he really was a ghost.

Beyond their sights, walking down the corridor that lead into the stadium on a lower level and proceeding out of the stands, the Blind Bandit strode on. With his eyes glancing behind him, the warrior had an unseen smile edged on his face underneath his mask. As he blindfolded his eyes, he felt a sense of pride come over him. Goten had won, his younger brother…he too couldn't believe it. Even though the child acted so innocent and cheerful, beyond that of the attitude you'd see out of a strong fighter, Gohan truly sensed a warrior's heart in him.

He sighed, chuckling to himself. _"Good one Goten…good one…"_

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_

****

* * *

_**Power levels:**_

**(Goten and Trunks fight):**

**Goten**

Base: 35,000,000

Super Saiyan: 70,000,000

**Trunks**

Base: 35,000,000

Base (exhausted energy): 30,000,000

Super Saiyan: 70,000,000

Super Saiyan (exhausted energy): 60,000,000


	39. The First Round

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_The First Round_

_**Some time later…**_

With Goten's victory assured in the final bout of the Junior Division of the tournament, the Z-fighters were finally able to move on to more pressing matters. As soon as the chibi Saiyan was congratulated on his victory, the announcer stated that the draw for the Adult Division was to be made in the warm up pavilion right away, now that the preliminaries were over and done with. So, after seeing Goten leave the ring to collect his prize with the exhausted Trunks in tow, the Z-fighters participating in the finals of the tournament headed for the warm up area they were previously in before. By this time, all the other hundreds of fighters that have signed up to participate would have already vacated the area, leaving only the sixteen that had made it. Goku was eager to see his competition when he reached the pavilion, wondering who he would end up fighting.

Taking lead, they headed down from the walkway rounding the stadium and out through the corridor exits in the lower levels. Now that the Junior Division was finished and the line ups were about to be drawn, the Z-fighters felt excited about the upcoming matches, with the need to get onto the ring overpowering. Well, Goku and Vegeta were perhaps the most eager ones. The rest were just looking forward to the matches ahead of them.

After weaving through the vast complex surrounding the stadium, the group eventually reached the warm up pavilion. It was placed at the back of the stadium, an entrance way to the waiting room where the fighters sat and awaited their turn to step up onto the ring. Passing underneath the small archway, being one of the only entrances into the pavilion, the Z-fighters spread themselves out a bit and began looking around the pavilion. The place was pretty empty and quiet now that the hundreds of fighters have cleared out, leaving only the finalists standing. Now, placed in the centre of the pavilion, was a white-board of the line up rolled in, a table with a box placed on top of it and a couple of tournament officials. One of which was the commentator who was present at Goten and Trunks' match. The blonde haired individual wearing the shades and a suit had not idea the Z-fighters had arrived until he looked up.

When he saw Goku and the others standing by the arch way, he grinned and waved to them. "Hey! You guys made it!" he exclaimed. Goku, Krillin and Piccolo smiled towards him, with Goku giving him a friendly wave. Vegeta and 18# however, didn't offer any friendly smiles or waves.

The commentator nodded and glanced down at the clipboard in his hand, with a couple of the tournament monks standing around to keep an eye on things. Skimming over the page in front of him, the commentator nodded with a smile and glanced up. "Alright! It looks like everyone is here! Excellent!" he said in delight, glasses flashing. "Finally we can get this show on the road!!!" With that said, the announcer bid all fighters in the surrounding area to gather around a bit closer. Heck, you couldn't have a draw if your competitors weren't around to hear their names called.

Looking around, the commentator counted 15 fighters, with Hercule being absent at the time. The man clearly didn't want to make a public appearance for one reason or another. However, the champ had a choice whether or not to participate in the draw. A monk informed the tournament commentator of the situation, and so the man respected Mr. Satan's wish. With the finalists all gathered and the preparations for the draw made, they could finally move along.

When the Z-fighters took their positions close by to where the announcer was hosting the draw, Goku decided to use the time he had to take a look at his competitions. Krillin, Vegeta, Piccolo and 18# did the same, but weren't too enthusiastic about the other fighters. They were more concerned about getting paired up with any one member of their group. Goku however always took the time to take in the outward and inner appearances of a fighter, more overly an opponent. Since he knew the capabilities and strengths of his friends, he didn't really need to give them a second thought, but was sure to make comparisons between their group and the other fighters around them. He noted that most of the participants didn't hang around in groups, except maybe in pairs. From his position, Goku's eyes scanned the competition standing around him, looking all the more curious every time he set his sights on somebody interesting.

"_Okay…most of these guys don't look that tough. We should be able to beat them easily,"_ Goku thought, his eyes moving over to a set number of fighters to his right. It was here he saw Master Shao standing on his own with his arms crossed and eyes closed. He wore his symbolic fighting robes and nothing more. A second was a guy dressed in green, traditional fighting robes with white linings who had long, blonde hair. He stood just as calm as Shao, but with his eyes open and a smile on his face. He wasn't really that tall, about 18#'s height. Then there was a third guy. He was huge (stood to about two feet higher then Piccolo), muscular and wore blue spandex shorts and a mask. He looked like a wrestler, what with veins bulging out of his massive pegs and biceps etc. The forth fighter in Goku's sights standing just several meters away from the three he had already gone over was the same military man the group had seen at the sign up booth. He wore army camo trousers, a black turtle neck and a green beret. The guy was clearly elite from the Royal Imperial Army, and stood to about the same height as Master Shao. Finally, around that group was another man dressed in a green trousers, wearing a white turtle neck with white gauze around his wrists and ankles. He had brown, short, spiky hair with several scars over the exposed areas of his body. He was fairly muscular like an athlete, but didn't have the build of a fighter.

Goku furrowed his brow at them, taking each of them into consideration. After which he glanced to his left towards several others. _"Then there are others…"_ the Saiyan thought. He saw Videl standing not too far from him, arms crossed and glaring at someone. Joining her but keeping his distance was a man dressed in full on leather: a jacket, trousers, boots etc., and had white, shoulder length hair. He stood to about Goku's height. Next there was a kick boxer, who wore white straps around his wrists and feet and wore tightly worn shorts of custom design: red, blue with yellow markings and fighting signs. He was muscular too, but stood to around a foot shorter then Goku and was bald. Finally there was another girl with black, long hair that grew down to shoulder length. She wore a green turtle neck, blue leather shorts, black martial arts shoes, a green head band and a green scarf. It was an odd bunch, but they all looked strong, stronger then most humans.

After checking out the competition, Goku turned a bit more and glanced to the left. Hanging around in the background, the Saiyan spotted the cloaked figure standing on his own, his hood and mask worn over him and the rest of his outfit underneath hidden by his stealthy disguise. The Blind Bandit didn't seem to be noticing anything, his sights and attention fixated on the draw. Goku blinked, taking the unknown warrior's appearance in for a brief moment before turning back around, his attention refocusing on the draw. _"…especially him…"_ Goku concluded after turning away from the 'blind' warrior. _"Gee…why do I feel so uneasy all of a sudden. It's like I know the guy from somewhere…?"_

The announcer turned to the fighters after making sure that everything was ready for the big games, a smile on his face. "Alright! First off I'd like to congratulate each and every one of you for making it this far. The fifteen of you have passed the preliminaries unscathed, mostly by pure strength. But now, we're moving to the main events of the tournament finals for the adult division, and believe me ladies and gentlemen, it's going to be one tough run…" The announcer pointed out the lineup board propped up behind him beside the table, where one of the monk's was standing with a pen, ready to draw up the first two names for the tournament. "If you'll look behind me, you will see that we have set up a simple process of selection for the fifteen of you. All you have to do is come forward when your name is called, and draw a number from this box. The number will decide your place on the board, and inevitably who your opponent will be. So…let's get started. First up: Master Shao!"

The martial artist to the announcer's left opened his eyes and glanced up. Hearing his name called out, he walked forward, approaching the table where the box was held. A second monk from the staff had placed himself behind it, to hold it down and make sure no one cheats in their draw. Master Shao had his mind set beyond the thoughts of cheating. He was going to do this clean and simple. Reaching into the box, his hand fumbled around the contents. When he withdrew his hand seconds later, he pulled up with him a green ball about the size of a tennis ball. When he looked down, he smiled and held it up to the commentator.

"I'm number 4," he exclaimed. The announcer smiled and nodded, turning to the monk at the board.

"Oh, excellent number!" the commentator exclaimed. "That places you in the second round!" The monk nodded, immediately turning around and writing up Shao's name on the board. Making sure to keep the audience informed of the line ups being drawn, a second board had been set up on the ring where the monks would draw up the names in view of the crowds. Instead of using runners to pass on name after name, they used walkie-talkies to communicate with each other. As soon as Shao had drawn his number, the monk in the pavilion passed on the message to the group at the ring.

Seconds after Shao's name had been written up onto the board, the fighters in the pavilion heard a loud, echoing roar of cheering coming from the stadium. Their attention turned in the directions of the excited cries in the distance, making them all blink in surprise. Well, at least they knew that the crowd was still waiting patiently. When Shao disposed of his number in a secondary box, he walked off and returned to his place on his side of the small crowd of fighters. The commentator then turned back to his list and ready out the next name.

"Okay…let's see, next up we have: Mrs. Number 18#," he exclaimed, looking up. A second later, he realized that the name he read out was a number and he raised an eyebrow back down on the clipboard. When he looked back up, he saw the blonde haired beauty from the Z-fighters' group approach, and come to stand in front of the table. The announcer chuckled nervously. "Is uhh…is Number 18# your real name?" he asked. The former android just glowered.

"My father _was_ pretty dull…" Without another word, she reached into the box and, after fumbling around for a second, drew a random ball out. Glancing down at it, she sighed and tossed it over to the commentator. He tried catching it, but the surprise throw meant he dropped it. 18# then assured him of her selected number. "Now I'm number 15#, how fortunate…one of my brothers' names…" She walked back to her husband and came to stand beside him. Krillin just smiled at her, and she smiled back.

The commentator shook his head with a smile, and after recovering from his close encounter with 18#'s glare, he glanced back down at his clipboard. "Right, now we have…James Tzar…"

The King boxer Goku had identified a moment before then walked forward, his hands fisted and a tight scowl on his face. Moving around the commentator towards the box, he reached it. With some trouble due to his strapped up hands, James eventually drew a ball from the depths of the box and held it up to the announcer. The shades wearing speaker smiled and nodded, turning to the monk behind him at the board. "James 'Rambo' Tzar is number 7! Repeat: James Tzar, Number 7!" The monks nodded and got to work quickly, completing their tasks. James nodded silently and dropped the ball into the box, heading back to his spot to stand in silence.

The announcer glanced at his clipboard, skimming down to the next name. "Alright! Next we have Krillin!"

The former monk from the group smiled brightly and dashed over, coming up to the table. Since he was shorter then most, the monk had to hold the box down for him a bit in order for him to reach it. Grinning, Krillin enthusiastically reached in to find his lucky number. "Ha! I hope I don't get put into the first round!" he exclaimed, pulling out the number from the box. When he glanced down he sighed with relief and held it up to the commentator. "Number 12!" The monks heard him clear as day and went to work.

After Krillin tossed his all into the second box and strolled back to his friends, the announcer went on with the list. He only had to glance down once before calling out the next name a second later. "Now, do we have a Majunior among us?" the commentator called. Piccolo sighed and walked forward, the Z-fighters caught a little by surprise. Gee, the Namekian never called himself anything other then Piccolo. Still, they just remained silent and watched the green warrior approach the box and reach into it. The commentator smiled up at him, watching him draw a number, glance down at it, and then hold it up to him.

"So you're number one! Excellent," the commentator exclaimed, nodding over to the monks before turning back to the tall warrior. "Welcome back by the way!" Piccolo smiled, responding with a nod and then dropping the ball into the second box. Marching back over, he came to stand behind Goku. The gang couldn't help but stare up at him. This didn't sit well with Piccolo, and under the edgy gazes of his allies, he glared at them, furrowing his brow.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," Goku said while rubbing the back of his head and smiling. "Just…wondering why you used the name Majunior…" Piccolo stared for a moment, but then glanced back over towards the commentator, who had just called out the next name on his list. They heard the name _Jewel_ be called out, the fighter with long, blonde hair and dressed in the green, traditional style gi walk out from the crowd and draw his name from the box. As they watched, Piccolo replied in Goku's favor.

"I used that particular name because I felt that I should protect my identity a little," the Namekian replied. "King Piccolo was my past father's name. People might mistake me for him if they can remember that far back, and panic…that's why I used Majunior instead of my original name…"

Goku blinked, processing the information handed down to him. He then smiled and nodded. "I see…good thinking…"

"Goku!" the announcer called. "You're up!" The Saiyan was quickly pulled out of his conversation with Piccolo, and when he saw the commentator waving to him, he smiled and walked over. Still watching from the back, the disguised Gohan watched his father proceed over to the table and make his draw. As Goku pulled the number from the box, the young Saiyan couldn't help but smile. It went on unnoticed under his mask and shadowed face, but it was clear he was truly glad to be back. The young Saiyan was happy to see his friends again, all alive and well. He was sure looking forward to facing them in the ring, to see how much they have improved.

Just as he saw Goku's name get written up on the board under _Number 9_ in round 5, the young Saiyan suddenly sensed someone standing beside him, and was drawn away from his gaze to glance down at his side. He was a little surprised when he saw Videl standing there with her hands on her hips and glaring up at him. Gohan blinked, immediately recognizing the girl as the one he had encountered before and smirked. He looked back up and closed his eyes, even though they were blindfolded.

"Yes…" the young Saiyan said suddenly, wanting to find out what was troubling her. The pigtailed girl furrowed her brow and, stepping forward, poked her finger into his chest.

"Listen you," she growled at him. "I don't care who you are or how strong you are Mr. Blind Bandit, but I still expect an apology from you!"

"What do you mean by apology, Miss Satan?" the warrior asked calmly, still smiling. Videl glowered at him, her eyes narrowing ever more.

"What I mean is, apologizing for that incident back at that building behind the pavilion!" the girl growled. It was just then the little argument the two of them were pulling into began catching a lot of attention from the surrounding fighters. Goku (who had recently returned to his friends), Krillin, Vegeta and 18# had turned towards the commotion, with Piccolo only glancing before looking away. He didn't want to get involved in this in any way. That wasn't his arena. As a small percentage of the fighters and monks present in the pavilion stared, Videl continued yelling at the person she was addressing with her accusations. "You don't just go on and do those things to someone when they didn't ask for it or need it in the first place! That's called sexual assault! I can have you thrown into jail for that!"

The warrior chuckled, arms crossed. He reached up with his hand and pulled his blind fold up a bit, his eyes coming into view. The young Saiyan glanced down at her with a grin. "Now this is starting to become very interesting. Perhaps we can discuss this a little more in private…"

Videl growled. "Why you…!"

"No, what I mean is talk about this some other time. I don't think you realize this, but we have some rather unwarranted attention," the young Saiyan exclaimed, gesturing towards the Z-fighters. Videl, blinking, turned around. She instantly saw what the young fighter was talking about, as most of the fighters in the area were staring at them. It was clear they had been listening in on their slight inappropriate conversation, and it was kind of disrupting.

Blushing, Videl turned on them instead and yelled. "Do you mind?!" The fighters, commentator and monks got the message and went on with their business. The Z-fighters turned away, Goku and Krillin whistling with their hands in their pockets as if they hadn't heard a thing. With that done, Videl glared back at the Blind Bandit with a heated face.

"Alright Blind Bandit, what's your move?" she asked, keeping her voice at a low. The cloaked fighter chuckled again, turning to her a bit more. This made Videl step back a couple, just as a precaution.

"If we were somewhere else, I would make my move," he replied mischievously. "But…I have reason to believe you won't bring those charges down on me…" Videl stared, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah…and why not?" she asked. Gohan smiled at her, eyes flashing.

"Well…for starters, your reaction to my approach towards you, told me that you _didn't_ want to stop me; and even if the rules of the tournament were removed, you still wouldn't have acted on defensive instinct even if you intended to do so. Second, when I was performing my administrations, you were so caught up with enjoying yourself you didn't even have any thoughts of bringing me down, and not in that way anyway. If we hadn't been standing in that public area, we would have done it right then and there. You knew it too. Unfortunately, my other senses told me better, so I knew we had to stop even though we were interrupted," Gohan said, leaning in closer to her, still smirking. "Your heart has yet to feel real passion… I can tell…" he whispered to her, his voice laced with a tone so lustful that it made Videl gasp and blush brightly. She found herself rooted to the spot, unable to move.

"Blind Bandit!" the commentator called. Gohan, glancing towards the table, smirked. Standing up straight he walked around Videl, leaving her standing where she was. Before he was out of ear shot, he passed on these last words to her.

"By the way…if you're wondering…I'm not just attracted to your intoxicating beauty…but mostly to your strong, pure spirit…" Videl remained frozen, wide eyes wavering and mouth slightly agape. Her cheeks were still flushed red, and her mind was a whirl. When she finally returned to earth, she breathed in deeply and closed her eyes, letting out a barely audible moan.

"_W-What's wrong with me?"_ she thought. _"I've never felt this way before towards a guy…and I know…"_ Opening her eyes, she glanced behind her to watch the Blind Bandit make his draw. As she watched him, her mind continued to speak. _"What is it about him that makes me want…him?"_

Gohan eventually drew from the box the ball he had been digging for. With a smile, he handed it over to the commentator, who took note of the number. Nodding, the announcer turned to the monk at the board, with the cloaked warrior using this moment to slip back to a secluded spot outside of the group. "The Blind Bandit is number 2!" The monks got to work again, completing their assigned tasks.

Goku, Vegeta, Krillin and 18# all glanced over at Piccolo, seeing the Namekian staring in albeit shock. A second later, his shocked expression dropped to a scowl, his teeth gritted and eyes narrowed on the board. He was fighting the Blind Bandit in the first round, and even though they knew very little about him, the Namekian was worried as.

"_I'm the first to fight the Blind Bandit…the first one to find out what he truly is capable of doing…"_

The commentator rolled on, glancing down at his list, smiling and calling up for the next fighter. "Andrew O'Brien!" he yelled. The Z-fighters glanced to their right, where they saw the giant, muscular wrestling guy stomp forward. O'Brien had a lot of trouble squeezing his hand into the box to grab one of the numbers, but he eventually got a hold of one. Pulling it out and glancing at the green ball, the wrestler chuckled and held it up to the commentator. The blonde haired spear nodded. "Ahh yes, Number 10! Excellent!" The wrestler grinned and glanced over at Goku, giving him the eye before moving on.

Krillin gulped. "Yikes Goku, you're fighting that guy!"

"Relax Krillin," Goku exclaimed, arms crossed. "I'm sure I can handle him…no problem…"

Vegeta smirked. "Well, there's Kakarot's rarely seen Saiyan attitude…"

"Alright," the commentator exclaimed. "Moving along, I'd like to call upon: Videl!" The raven haired girl, who had finally recovered from her brush with the hot stuff, marched forward and took her place beside the table. Reaching into the box, the girl began searching blindly for her number. Meanwhile, she glanced over at the announcer with a curious expression in play.

"Do you know where my dad is at the moment?" she asked. "Shouldn't he be here as well?" the announcer furrowed his brow and scratched his head. He then just shrugged at the young teenager with a look of puzzlement in play.

"The…uhh…champ's taking a moment to ready himself for the tournament. I'm afraid he won't be making a public appearance under it's his turn to fight," the commentator replied. Videl nodded in response, moving on to rummaging for a number. A second later, she withdrew her hand from the box and glanced down at her number. She smiled. Then that smile turned into a grin and a determined look crossed over her features.

"Alright, Number 3!" she exclaimed, glancing over at Shao. The bald martial artist smiled back at her and nodded. The two fighters shared that small exchange of stares before they eventually went back to where they were. Videl popped the ball she had into the second box and then left for some other part of the pavilion. She didn't approach the Blind Bandit as she had done so before, feeling a little bit unnerved from her last encounter. Boy, he knew where to hit you when it came to those types of situations.

Gohan stood in the background, watching Videl come to a stand several meters away. His eyes remained plastered on her, watching her glance back at him with a curious expression. The cloaked Saiyan smiled under his mask and nodded to her, receiving a blush in kind from the raven haired girl before she looked away. If it hadn't been for that incident back at that building, then Videl would have the guts now to stand up to him. She had just lost her nerve as she had lost every other verbal battle with him. Anyway, after she looked away, Gohan glanced back towards the draw, where he saw and heard the commentator call the name: _Hamilton_. The man dressed in the commando style uniform came forward, reaching the table and drawing his number, which turned out to be Number 13. He walked back to his place.

The commentator turned to his list, scanning it for a moment before looking up. "Alright, is there a Vegeta around here?" the man in shades asked. Immediately after being called, the Saiyan Prince brushed past Goku and Krillin, and approached the table. Looking down at the box with a glare, the flame haired warrior took his time in searching for a ball. When he got his hands on a random one after flicking aside several others, he pulled it out and glanced down at it. With a grunt he threw it into the second box, turning his back on the announcer. "Number 5," he growled.

"Uhh…" the announcer murmured, watching the fighter walk away. "Alright then…uhh…" the announcer took that as the answer and then glanced back down at his clipboard. Scratching his head, he nodded and looked up, sunglasses flashing in the light. "I'd now like to invite Holt!"

The athletic toned man with the battle scars walked forward, his feet padding the cold floor. In his wake, the Z-fighters stared at him, Krillin and Goku wondering how a man of his place could suffer such scars. It was even mind-boggling enough that a guy of his stature could have made it. Anyway, the athlete reached the box and after fumbling in it with mild difficulty (thanks to his wrist straps), he eventually pulled out one of the balls and held it up to the commentator. The blonde haired speaker checked it once and ratified it with the monks behind him. "Holt Tark for Number 18, please!" Like all the other fighters, the athlete dropped the ball into the box and walked off. 18# eyes him with a scowl.

"That's who I'm fighting?" she asked. "The guy's a toothpick…"

"Oh, don't worry 18#!" Krillin exclaimed. "You'll get your chance to fight with the top guns…"

With the name written up, the announcer turned back to his list. Ticking off Holt and writing down what number he was under as a reminder, the commentator then turned to the next name. He looked over towards his right. "Leon Parker!" he called.

The man dressed in leather and had white hair nodded and walked forward, his gloved hands fisting and eyes hardening. He looked pretty scary, if you put it in appearance sense. There were kinds of things to be concerned with, like size, looks, ki…anything that can make your bones quake. When he reached the box, the man reached into the box and pulled up his number. A quick glance at him immediately stuck the number into his head and he held it up to the commentator. "I'm Number 6," he said in a soft toned voice, but was suited for his age. The announcer nodded and wrote that down, along with the monk working at the board.

The gothic dressed fighter then glanced over at the Z-fighters directly at Vegeta. The flame haired Saiyan stared back, their glares clashing. After a moment or so, Leon left his eyes after dropping the ball into the second box and retreating back for his position. Stopping, he turned around, crossed his arms and closed his eyes. If anyone knew any better, the guy acted a lot like Vegeta. The Z-fighters had also taken an interest in the champ. He certainly didn't act like any ordinary person. He was more hardcore…

The announcer glanced at his clipboard, studied it for the next name, and then called out the next one while glancing under the time schedule page below. "Finally, I'd like to call up Yumi please!" the commentator called. The girl with the black hair and wearing the green head band grinned and skipped over. She arrived at the box, smiling sweetly up at the commentator who sort of blushed under her gaze. She was rather pretty after all.

"Hi there!" she cheered, reaching into the box. The commentator adjusted his glasses and nodded back.

"Hello Yumi," he replied. "Looking forward to the tournament?" The girl nodded with a smile.

"Yup!" she exclaimed before pulling up the ball she had managed to grab. She held it up towards the commentator. "Hey, I'm Number 14!" The announcer nodded and turned to the monks.

"Excellent, Number 14# for Yumi please!"

Tossing the ball into the box, the happy-go-lucky girl skipped away, heading towards Leon. The Z-fighters stared after her oddly, as did everyone else as she leapt a circle around Leon before leaning against him, hugging his arm. The white haired fighter just rolled his eyes and shook his head. Gohan, who was standing not too far from them, also shook his head at them.

When he did, he couldn't help but think to himself. _"Now there's a happy couple…"_

Finally, after a whole 15 minutes, all finalist fighters present in the pavilion had drawn their numbers. Because of Hercule's absence at the moment, the commentator drew his number for him, and quickly assigned the champ number 11. Krillin was thrilled that he was finally going to get a kick at the afro martial artist, whereas the Z-fighters were glad that one of their own was pitching it in with the fake. Finally they could get at the champ for all the trouble he has caused. It was then, after a moment's wait, the board had finally been filled up, and the fighters were assigned their opponents.

The list ran on as per set up:

Round 1: Piccolo vs. the Blind Bandit

Round 2: Videl vs. Master Shao

Round 3: Vegeta vs. Leon Parker

Round 4: James 'Rambo' Tzar vs. Jewel

Round 5: Goku vs. Andrew O'Brien

Round 6: Hercule vs. Krillin

Round 7: Maj. Jay Hamilton vs. Yumi Lee

Round 8: 18# vs. Holt Tark

The commentator was looking as excited as he had ever been. "Alright fighters, if you will just follow me to the waiting room, I will brief you in on the rules!" the shades wearing figure stated, gesturing for all fighters in the area to follow him. As the monks started putting away the gear, the Z-fighters, as well as the other fighters who were not in league with their group, followed the announcer. With eagerness and smiles edged out in their features, every finalist present was looking forward to their match.

As they headed across the pavilion and through a corridor, the announcer began passing on the rules of the tournament to the fighters following him close behind. "Remember these rules, as they are important, and could be the key to your victory. If you give up, fall out of the ring or are knocked out for 10 seconds, you lose. And if a winner isn't decided during the 30 minute time limit of the match, the judges will decide who proceeds onto the next round and who doesn't. Also, there is no hitting below the belt and the use of weapons is strictly prohibited. Of course, you all know that killing is not allowed either", said the announcer, his tone serious.

The Z-fighters, who continued to walk in their group, whilst everyone else was scattered, nodded. They all listened intently, not wanting to get into trouble when it came to their matches. Soon enough, the group emerged from the long stretch of corridor and appeared out in another courtyard, this one linking to several other areas via pathways, with palm trees planted around the perimeter. Ahead of them, across from the exited hallway, the group saw another, larger building with archways leading into a room indoors. It happened to be the very splendor of the entire area, and just so happened to be their destination. Entering the room through the archways, the commentator led them into the waiting room. The same exit the fighters used to enter the ring was pasted right in front of them, the crowds beyond the rectangular gateway cheering, calling them onto the stage.

The commentator stopped and smiled, turning around to face the fighters gathered behind him. "Do you hear that?" he asked them. "The people out there want you to give them a good show. So fight proudly, fairly…and make every second count!" With a thumbs up, the announcer turned on his heel and trotted out onto the ring, weaving past the board that divided the way of the participants who would be making their way out onto the ring soon enough. "Good luck to you all…"

As soon as the announcer had left, the fighters scattered themselves around the waiting area, making use of the short time they had to get comfortable and stretch up before their matches. Even the Z-fighters have broken up into respective pairs, or just taking individual places here and there. Goku and Krillin grouped near the entrance, gazing excitedly out onto the ring. Vegeta and Piccolo stood on their own, with the Namekian warrior stationed in the corner and the Saiyan Prince leaning up against the wall. As for 18#, she hung back around her husband, using this time to look around at her competition. Videl had taken up a post beside a window that showed the ring and the stadium stands beyond the walls. Her eyes fixated onto the ring, every now and then tearing away to stare over at the Blind Bandit, who was leaning against a wall several meters down the way with his arms crossed. Master Shao sat cross legged near the archways the group had used to enter this room, hands placed on his thighs and eyes closed. Hamilton and Jewel both stood together, talking away and out of ear shot from the others. O'Brien, the heavy massed wrestler, stood away from them in the centre of the warm up area, flexing his incredible muscles and cracking his neck every now and then. Leon and Yumi, the odd couple, hung around outside of the warm up area, enjoying the nice breath of fresh air and peace. Leon was constantly telling her too calm down, but the girl was very energetic and couldn't sit still. That's maybe why he liked her so much. The girl sort of reminded you of Goten. Anyway, as for Holt and James, those two regular fighters were also engaged in conversation not too far from Goku and Krillin's position. They were real deep with each other, talking about their fighting styles and how it helps them. Well, it won't do much in this tournament, since so many other powerful fighters were participating.

Piccolo, who remained in his standing position in the corner of the warm up room, was notably sweating nervously. With his body trembling slightly, the green warrior opened his eyes and glanced over at his opponent. His eyes settled on the Blind Bandit standing across the way, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. The Namekian's eyes wavered as he locked onto the mysterious warrior, his mind set and focused. He didn't know what to think at this moment. Everything he already knew about the bandit was coming down on him hard with this upcoming fight. The warrior was clearly strong, so strong in fact he was able to replace his ki signature with a different ki signature altogether, and block off his supposed ki with an infiltration barrier. That was considered impossible, even by the Z-fighters. This posed a problem because Piccolo didn't know how strong the guy was, or whether he's a threat or not.

The Namekian continued to explore his concerns, but was unable too when, five minutes after they had reached this room, the announcer began to speak. Everyone turned in the directions they heard his echoing voice over the loudspeakers, listening intently.

"_**Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience! The adult division and the main events of this tournament start now! Folks, this is the moment you have all been waiting for, where we will decide who truly is the strongest under the heavens!"**_ the announcer called, the crowds letting out a loud cheer in response. Smiling, the man in shades tossed his microphone into the air, where it twirled before falling back into his hand. Acting with such energy that was commonly seen in him in every tournament, the man in blonde turned towards the entrance of to the warm up room from his position and continued. _**"Now, for our first match, I'd like to call up our first two challengers: The mighty Majunior, and the calm, collected warrior, the Blind Bandit!!!"**_ Upon hearing these names, the crowds lit up in another wave of cheers and applause, their calls drawing the fighters from their hiding places.

The Z-fighters glanced round at Piccolo to see the Namekian unfold his arms and walked over to the entrance. Another set of eyes was set on the Blind Bandit, who pulled himself to his feet and began walking towards the entrance in sync with his opponent's. Videl stared after him, looking all suspicious and curious. Their eyes didn't meet, as Gohan was more focused on the fight ahead of him. At the same time, both warriors reached the entrance, the Blind Bandit standing on the left, and Piccolo on the right. The moment they spent there gave Goku and Krillin the chance to speak with their friend.

"Hey, good luck Piccolo," Goku said with a smile, earning an ear twitch from the Namekian he was addressing.

"You can do it buddy," Krillin exclaimed. "Remember, don't slip up!"

Piccolo groaned. Sure those words of encouragement made him feel much better. "Thanks," he muttered, before he and his opponent marched out of the warm up room. Stepping out into the open, almost blinded by the sudden rays of light, the fighters were greeted with roars and cheers from the crowds in the surrounding stands. Their appearances made the crowds go wild, with their strides down the path joined by their shouts of encouragement, urging them on for a good fight. As they stepped up onto the arena, the commentator went on with his duties, giving them a low down on both fighters.

"_**As you should know ladies and gentlemen, both fighters have appeared in earlier tournaments in the past, making them both legends on the arena. If I am not mistaken, Majunior's fight in the tournament before Hercule was declared Champion had left a mark on all of us, as he and his opponent destroyed the ring! Let's try to keep it in one piece today, okay Majunior!"**_ the announcer exclaimed, saying the last part rather nervously. Piccolo grunted in response, hearing the guy loud and clear with the cheering now dimmed into the background. As the two of them reached the centre, they broke up and took places away from each other at a distance of 20 meters. Both of them turned to each other, with Piccolo seen as being the tensest. _**"As for his opponent, we are introduced to the Blind Bandit, declared second strongest in the world next to Hercule Satan. His victory in the Four Chambers of Commerce Tournament has insured him that place in today's fighter's society! But will he be a match against Majunior, who can easily bring a ring to its knees!? Well, we shall soon find out!"**_ the announcer said, raising his hand. With a grin he threw it down. _**"Fighters, let the match begin!"**_ The gong sounded, and with another uproar from the crowds, the fight began.

Piccolo, who was still having second thoughts about engaging the fighter, dropped into a fighting stance. His glare was plastered firmly on the cloaked warrior, who didn't even bother to take a stance. He just stood there, waiting for the Namekian to make the first move. All the while, people all around were set in deep thought about both fighters, wondering what would come of this and how either would fair.

Chi-Chi, who had heard of the Blind Bandit before today's tournament, blinked as she stared down at the ring and pointed at him. "Hey, I saw that guy fight on T.V!" the woman said. Bulma nodded, holding up her binoculars.

"Yeah…me too," Bulma replied. "Man, even though he isn't as strong as Vegeta, he sure was good against those four champions two months ago!" Yamcha blinked, looking between both fighters with concern.

"Gee…it's a shame he has to fight Piccolo right off in the first round…" the base baller said.

The Z-fighters stationed down in the warm up room however were having different thoughts about the fight ahead. Goku and Krillin were smiling, hands placed on their hips as they watched their Namekian friend glare directly at his opponent. So far, the two fighters haven't moved yet.

"Now it's time to see what this guy can really do!" Goku exclaimed. Krillin gave a nod of affirmation.

"If anyone can beat this guy, Piccolo is the one to do it!" the former monk stated. Vegeta glared at the two friends for a moment, but then glared back out towards the ring with his regular, serious expression mixed with anger and impatience.

"_I can't believe I'm thinking this…but…go Piccolo!"_ the Saiyan Prince thought, disheveled by his thought out words. _"Maybe now we can see a real fight, if this mysterious warrior has anything in him to dish out…"_

The crowds cheered on, urging them both to give them a good fight. If the junior division was as great as it had been, then this match in the adult division should be a real blast! Piccolo remained where he was, looking through with his stance maintained, sweating. His opponent hadn't even bothered to make a move yet, which meant he was waiting for the Namekian to attack first. This was what Piccolo was so hesitant about. He didn't want to jump into a fight that may turn into a trap. It was too risky. However, if he didn't do something soon, then he might never know who this guy really is.

"_Here goes nothing…"_ he thought before powering up slightly and taking off. Dust shot up into a cloud behind him as the Namekian charged swiftly at his opponent, cape and turban still worn over him.

Using speed that not even Krillin could top, the Namekian hurled at his opponent, teeth gritted and eyes locked firmly onto the cloaked warrior. Everyone watched in awe, these moments passing like minutes, with everybody holding their breaths. No one took their eyes off for even a second, but even so they still wouldn't be able to understand what would happen next. Within moments, Piccolo reached his opponent, and without hesitation the Namek pulled his left fist back and sent it in a hook straight at his opponent's face. It was then when he felt it, the true nature of the Blind Bandit's power. His fist hit nothing but air as it passed through an afterimage. The Namekian wasn't even aware of it till he felt his fist hit nothing. He gasped in shock, flying through the afterimage and coming to a skidding stop. When he did, he began looking around frantically for his opponent, gritting his teeth.

"What the!" Goku, Krillin and even Vegeta yelled in shock at the same time Piccolo did. Everyone in the stadium had let out a gasp in exact unison, their sharp intakes of breath echoing all around. After which, the crowds began scanning the arena for the Blind Bandit. They had no idea where he was, or had any idea where he had disappeared. The fighters watching from the warm up room were shocked beyond belief, neither having expected such a sudden turn of events. The announcer was also dumbstruck, stammering with wide eyes.

Piccolo wheeled around on the spot, scanning the areas behind him. He was looking all over the ring, but there were no traces of his opponent. _"Where did he go?"_ he growled in his head, only to have his question answered when someone from the crowds yelled 'Look! Up in the sky!' catching the Namekian's attention. Glancing over his shoulder, Piccolo's eyes immediately settled on his opponent, who was floating 40 stories above the ground behind him, a mere speck in the distance. The cloaked figure was glaring down at his opponent, outfit blowing about in the wind. Everyone on the ground was in disbelief.

Growling, Piccolo spun around, turning towards his opponent. It was with that one movement he lost eye contact with his target for only a split second, and when he eventually turned around, he was no longer up in the sky. Everyone was left confused and shocked again, no one knowing where he had gotten too this time. Piccolo's eyes widened and he stepped back, only to stop when he felt himself walk into a brick wall. But the ruffling of a cloak and the familiar presence of a being told him that this was no brick wall. Piccolo gasped and glanced behind him, seeing his opponent standing with his back turned to him, as if he hadn't moved. The Namek quickly acted, leaping away and retreating across the ring in a stable flight. Seconds later, he reached the other side of the ring, away from the blind warrior…only…he was no longer there. Straightening up in shock, Piccolo glanced behind him, seeing the blind fighter standing right there.

Everyone was shocked, even the Z-fighters. No one had even seen him move. Heck, it looked like he hadn't even moved an inch. It was at this, Piccolo turned around and leapt back, retreating to about 30 meters and dropping back to the ground in a defensive stance. With wide eyes and an expression that clearly showed fear, the Namekian warrior stared at the blind fighter. Okay, now this guy was really starting to get to him, as well as everyone else. It was clear he was no ordinary fighter.

"_What the hell is he?"_ Piccolo growled in his head, visibly trembling on the spot. _"I didn't even…how in the world does he move so fast?! There is no way a single fighter can muster that kind of speed without making a move to do so! It's impossible!"_

The blind warrior standing in front of Piccolo remained as he was, with the Namekian still staring at him fearfully. But then, after a while of staring at his opponent, the green fighter gritted his teeth and let out an enraged growl, his hands fisting as he took a horse riding stance. In a roar of anger and pure power, the said Namek then moved into a new, more serious phase, his white aura accompanied by blue bolts of electricity exploding around him. With his weighted clothing still covering him, Piccolo returned to a stance, throwing his cape around and holding his left hand towards his opponent, right fist held back.

"Enough of this!" Piccolo roared as the ground began cracking beneath him, his energy warping faster with greater intensity. Debris flew into the air, with the sight of the powering up Namek shocking everyone. "I'm warning you! This time I won't hold back!"

With a shockwave, Piccolo leaned forward and shot at his opponent, hurling through the air and coming up on the Blind Bandit at an amazing speed. With a tremendous show of strength, the Namek pulled his right leg back and sent a roundhouse kick at his opponent, who held up his left arm and blocked it easily. The ground shook violently as the force of the colliding beings expanded outwards in one mighty burst. Piccolo growled and pulled back through the air a bit, withdrawing his leg. Pivoting on the spot, the Namekian then wheeled around, bringing the same leg around in a backwards roundhouse kick. This one struck another block, this time the Blind Bandit holding up his right arm. Failing to penetrate the warrior's defenses, Piccolo drew back a moment and then hurled himself at his opponent, beginning to bombard him with lightning fast, powerful attacks. He first came in with a barrage of punches, averting them to hooks and upper cuts first. The blind warrior blocked them all, his arms moving in faster moving blurs then Piccolo's fists. They were so fast that his arm movements left afterimages behind every time he moved them. The Namekian then turned to launching more complex combinations, using side kicks, roundhouse kicks, knees and combo punches. But all in vein, his attacks were all blocked, with the Blind Bandit only using his arms.

Finishing off his barrage of attacks with a knee, that blow not doing any damage let alone move the warrior, Piccolo stopped. Leaping up a bit in the air, the Namekian then sent a right kick aimed at the warrior's face, only to have the Blind Bandit move his left arm up swiftly to block it as the fighter pushed off. The green fighter retreated, flying back to a position about 40 meters away, landing dropped in a fighting stance and watching the masked fighter assume his regular standing position. Frustrated beyond belief, Piccolo brought his right hand back, his palm crackling with golden electricity as his aura continued warping. With a yell of rage, the green fighter threw his right hand forward, unleashing a golden ball of highly concentrated energy at his opponent while yelling, "DESTRUCTIVE WAVE!!!" The massive energy attack hurled through the air, lighting up everything in sight. The Z-fighters gasped in shock, unable to believe their friend would use such a powerful attack in a crowded area like this. He would have killed them all. But then, things seemed to drop back to normal shock when the Blind Bandit acted immediately to this threat. Just as Piccolo's attack was close to colliding with him, the disguised Gohan raised his right hand and backslapped at the attack, sending it skyward where it shot into the distance. It crashed into the distant ocean, lightning up into an atomic like explosion. When the explosion died out seconds later, amidst the screams of onlookers, the Blind Bandit lowered his arm and returned to standing. Piccolo stood speechless, his mouth and eyes open wide with his aura down. The Z-fighters also gaped, unable to believe what had happened.

Yet, despite everything thrown at him, the Blind Bandit remained standing in that same position, staring quietly. Piccolo felt chills run down his spin, and when he finally realized what had happened, he dropped into a fighting stance, eyes locked firmly with his opponent. He didn't dare blink for even a moment, fearful he might miss something, what with the Blind Bandit's incredible speed. It wouldn't help him. Suddenly the Blind Bandit pushed off the ground lightly, the young warrior suddenly hurling at his opponent at an incredible speed, but appeared in slow motion. He drifted through the air, shocking Piccolo in his approach. Just then, before he could lock into a fight with the frozen Namekian warrior, he floated around him, Piccolo's eyes wide and staring after him. The disguised Gohan landed right behind him and pushed off the ground hard. This propelled him straight at the Namekian, where he sent a swift, left knee straight into Piccolo's face. The Namekian felt he had been struck by a fist thrown by a max powered Super Saiyan Goku clean in the face, his world blanking out for that moment as he was knocked falling to the side, spit flying free of his mouth. It was then the Blind Bandit dropped low fast and sent a left upper cut straight into his gut, making Piccolo reel forward at the strength of the attack. Then, with a quick lift into the air, the Blind Bandit drew his right fist back and sent it at Piccolo's face in a powered up hook. The attack knocked Piccolo senseless and flying across the ring, spinning out of control. Seconds later, the Namekian struck the ground, bouncing once, then twice and then stopping after skidding across the hard surface. He was grounded.

The crowds gasped, with the Z-fighters still staring in shock. Everything was happening so fast, and although the fight had just pulled into its tenth minute, Piccolo was already beat. The Namekian, who was still conscious, pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, reaching up to his face and grabbing his left cheek, growling in pain. Then, after feeling the agony subside a bit, he got up and turned around, with his teeth gritted and lip bleeding. The Blind Bandit was standing again, staring at him. I was then Piccolo couldn't take it anymore. Quickly throwing off his weighted clothes, he powered up again, aura flaring wildly and hurled at the blind warrior. With quick, blind fury, the Namekian attacked the fighter relentlessly, sending barrages of punches at him which the disguised Gohan blocked one blow after another. The shockwaves that sounded were minor compared to previous attacks, with Piccolo's efforts rendered useless. It was then the Namekian warrior came in with a left jab, the blind warrior dropping onto his back quickly. Shocked, Piccolo prepared to pull back but just then, his opponent drove two feet into the Namekian's stomach. The tremendous blow sent his opponent hurling skyward, and immediately after he had done so, the blind warrior leapt back to his feet. Crouching low after getting up, the disguised Gohan jumped hard, pushing off the ground with a tremendous shockwave that propelled him at super speeds up to his opponent. As Piccolo was still soaring skywards out of control, the Blind Bandit appeared directly above him, and bringing his arms up, brought them down in a jackhammer smash. The blow sent the green warrior plummeting to the ground again, where he crashed, forming a crater and bouncing. With that bounce, the split seconds in between it and his return to solid ground again, allowed Gohan an opportunity to finish this. With a speed far greater then anyone could have counted on, the Blind Bandit appeared ground floor and side kicked straight into the exposed side of his opponent.

The blow sent Piccolo flying straight across the ring, and seconds later collide with the out-of-bounds wall that helped protect the people in the stands. The impact of Piccolo crashing into the concrete made structure formed a crater, cracking it badly. The people behind it let out cries of shock, before watching the Namekian warrior fall to the ground onto his back, eyes shot and withering in pain. And that was it; the fight was over as soon as it had begun.

Gohan finished up by kicking off of the surface of the ring he had landed lying on his side, and back flipped through the air. Landing in the centre of the ring, he took a finishing stance and then stood up straight. Letting out a sigh, he gazed down. Silence fell. Amidst the shock of the crowds and fighters all there was, was the whipping of a passing wind. Then, after a moment or two of gazing onto the ring, the crowds suddenly erupted into a ripple of applause that spread out throughout the stands. This was accompanied by cheering and shouts of satisfaction towards the great fight. It was fantastic.

The commentator, finally returning to the ground, drew up his microphone and let out a cheer. _**"YYEEEEEESSSSS!!! Ladies and gentlemen, there you have it! The winner is: the Blind Bandit!!!"**_ the commentator exclaimed. _**"He shall be moving on to the quarter finals!!! Please stay tuned for the second round…"**_

"I-I can't believe it!" Krillin stammered. "P-P-Piccolo lost! He actually lost!"

"Incredible!" Goku said with eyes widened in amazement. "I've never seen a fighter on this planet with such strength!"

"No one has that kind of strength or skill!" 18# joined in, having witnessed the fight from her place beside them. She was in grave shock too. "You guys would have to transform to Super Saiyan's in order to keep up with him!"

"Impossible!" Vegeta shouted, clenching his fists. "There is no way he can match a Super Saiyan! That's absurd! Only a monster like Cell has those kinds of capabilities!"

As the Z-fighters talked among themselves, lying on the grass underneath the cracked wall, a wounded Piccolo was pulling himself to his feet. Having only pushed himself up with his hands, he gritted his teeth and glared at the ground. He was bruised all over, his gi slightly damaged. His condition was understandable, but he felt he didn't need any help. However, as he was pulling himself to his feet, he sensed someone standing in front of him and looked up. There, he saw the Blind Bandit standing over him, hood lowered, and revealing his mask and hair. Gazing down at his fallen opponent, the disguised Gohan offered him a hand, with Piccolo staring at him in surprise. It soon became mixed with suspicion, but then, after considering it as a kind gesture, the Namekian smiled and grabbed his hand, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet.

When the warrior was back up, he placed his hands on his hips and smiled down at the young warrior. "You fight good…impressive," Piccolo exclaimed. "I didn't know a human could possess such strong powers…"

The warrior nodded to him, smiling through his mask. "Thanks…you fought well, yourself, Piccolo. But…" the blind warrior crossed his arms, tilting his head up at him. "I…think you've gotten a little bit soft over these years…not much fighting going on hm?"

The Namekian raised an eyebrow. "Huh? …what?"

The masked Gohan just waved at him and turned around. "Never mind. I still enjoyed our fight. Thank you," the spiky haired teen exclaimed before heading off, leaving Piccolo standing there, all confused.

The Namekian blinked, staring after his opponent for a moment before frowning and giving the warrior a hard gaze. _"Whoever he is…he's no human, for that there's a certainty. Any fighter with…hang on…"_ Piccolo raised an eyebrow. _"His fighting sign…on his forehead…"_ The realization immediately dawned on the green fighter as he brought the silver plate of the young man's forehead band into perspective. Studying it on first glance only took a second, allowing him to develop a clear picture now. _"That's a Mystic Dragon Fist fighting sign…and there's only one kid I know who practices its advancement from the regular Dragon Fist from which it is based on…but…it's just not possible…"_

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_

****

* * *

_**Power levels:**_

**(Round 1):**

Piccolo: 85,000,000

Gohan (Blind Bandit-Base Suppressed): 15,000,000

Gohan (Blind Bandit-Base Full Power): 120,000,000


	40. Friendly Nature

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Friendly Nature_

_**A minute later…**_

With the first round over, the second round was soon underway. After Piccolo had recreated a brand new outfit for himself and had left the stadium ringside, the commentator called up the next fighters. Eagerness and enthusiasm towards his duties was mostly driven by his anticipations and expectations this tournament had. Not only are the prized fighters from the past competing today, but he was also getting a hell of a lot of action, and it was only the first round. Things were really looking up, better then the other past tournaments, and that's for sure. So, with the crowds chattering and chanting going on all around him, the commentator unsheathed his microphone and carried on his duties.

"_**Now, ladies and gentlemen, I call upon the next fighters for the second round: the daughter of the champ Videl Satan, and Master Wushu Artist of the Four Chambers of Commerce, Master Shao! Please, come forward!!!"**_ the announcer called. Immediately after hearing their names called, Videl and Shao walked to the entrance and proceeded down the path towards the ring. The Z-fighters watched the two of them walk side by side, postures matching their style of fighting. The Blind Bandit (aka Gohan) also watched them walk up onto the ring and take their places. From here, at his position beside the window, he would watch the fight.

Standing outside from the rest of the fighters who stood by the entrance, the blindfolded warrior was sure to watch this fight. But as he was standing on his own, he was soon approached by Piccolo. The Namekian warrior, recovered from his fight, stood by the young warrior and glared at him. Gohan knew he was standing right beside him, but didn't address his knowledge of the green warrior's presence just yet. He wanted to watch the fight pull into its very beginning first. Piccolo allowed his previous opponent this moment of silence, still locked onto him with that serious stare.

As soon as Videl and Shao had taken up positions on the ring under the eyes of the crowd, the commentator standing by smiled and raised his hand. And, in one fluent movement, he brought it down, calling through his microphone. _**"Fighters! You may begin!!!"**_ The gong in the background rang, and as soon as the cheers and roars from the crowds exploded into the air, the fight was on.

Both Videl and Shao took immediate stances and charges at one another, the master of martial arts making the first decisive strikes. Videl tested him, backing away and blocking his jab, punch, uppercut, right roundhouse kick combination before returning it with her own attacks. The two of them circled each other on the ring, engaging in that fierce battle. Leaping into the air, Videl sent a roundhouse kick aimed at his head, only for Shao to duck and sent a left, drop side kick up at her stomach. The raven haired girl grabbed his foot and used it to push off and spin through the air. Landing lightly, the girl shot at her opponent again and sent a right straight punch at him. Shao back flipped, performing seven flips before landing, taking a Coiled Snake Stance, whereas Videl dropped into an Eagle Claw Stance. Both of them glared, not having broken a sweat with that fluent exchange of attacks. Then, after a moment of staring, they shot at each other and once more locked horns, flurries of attacks coming from both of them.

Gohan's eyes observed the two of them, taking in their experience level and show of skill, speed and strength. The two fighters were really good at a human level, but one of them would have to emerge as the victor. It all depended on who had trained the hardest and who was the strongest. A life time of devotion to the sport would also alter the results of a battle, which might explain Gohan's incredible level of skill. This gave him another thing to think about. However, he wasn't given much time too. It was just then, after using up his given moment, Piccolo stepped closer and began to speak.

"Good fight isn't it…" the Namekian said, still glaring at him. The Blind Bandit nodded.

"It sure is," he replied in a monotone expression. Piccolo smiled and walked a little closer, coming to stand beside the blind warrior. Crossing his arms, the Namekian went on to stare out onto the ring too. He watched as both Videl and Shao leapt and jumped from point to point, throwing attacks at each other and wowing the crowd at their ferocity. They were giving a damn good show! Leaping into the air, Shao flipped and sent a drive axe kick down onto his opponent, only for Videl to cartwheel out of the way. The attack struck concrete, ending with the martial arts master performing the splits. Glaring up at Videl who was coming in for yet another attack, Shao quickly acted. With a great deal of effort, he pushed himself over onto his side and, bringing his legs back together, kicked out at Videl's forward leg, causing the girl to fall over with a yell. She managed to flip over him, pushing off the ground with both hands and land meters away, allowing the bald fighter to leap back to his feet and charge at her in attack. He punched out, Videl grabbing his fist before driving an elbow across his face. The blow was strong by human standards, easily staggering the martial artist.

Another few seconds of silence was had between both Namekian and Saiyan. With the sounds of the crowds cheering in the background and the calm breathing of the fighters here, whose attention was fixated completely on the fight, Piccolo spoke up. A smile remained on his face as he did. "So…how does it feel to be back among the living, kid?" he asked.

The disguised Gohan took a moment to process this question, and turn it into an answer. He shrugged, while still smiling under his mask. "It's alright…good food, good air to breathe…long term peace" he paused for a moment, letting out a sigh. "Fact is that…a lot of things have definitely changed. Although things in the Spirit World don't…it surprises me how much you guys have…"

Piccolo chuckled, closing his eyes. "There goes any chance of an argument you had. But then again, your disguise _was_ a real trick, Gohan…not even I suspected it to be you," the Namekian exclaimed. Gohan glanced over at him.

"Oh…?" he replied. "And how did you eventually come to the conclusion that it was actually me all along?" he then asked. Piccolo glanced over at him, a smile broadening his features.

"Well, for starters your level of strength far superseded our own! Heck, at that level, you could even give Super Saiyan Goku a run for his money," the Namekian stated. Gohan sighed, arms still crossed as he shrugged.

"Just like the good-old days," the young Saiyan said with a sigh. He clearly remembered their days back in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, where they were training for Cell. Those times, though harsh they may have been every once in a while, were still good. It all made up Gohan's remarkable memory system.

Piccolo nodded, before continuing, looking back up towards the ring. "Second: is the fact that no other person on this planet is capable of feats quite like yours. It sure shocked us all that you're able to move that fast and possess those kinds of strengths, all available at your disposal. Another element I'd like to draw your attention too is your ability to mask your ki completely, and replace it with another. Nobody I know is capable of doing that…"

"…except me?" Gohan interrupted. Piccolo nodded at this, still smiling. The young Saiyan chuckled, lowering his head a bit so that his masked face was more overly shadowed. "I knew that you would find out who I was eventually…you're the only one with that kind of eye…unlike Sherlock Holmes"

"I've known you since you were a little boy, Gohan," Piccolo stated. "Though there may be things I may not be able to understand about you, I can still recognize my former student's ki, no matter what mask you put over it…"

"And yet you chose to say these things now?" the young Saiyan queried, glancing over at him. The Namekian chuckled and dipped his head, closing his eyes in turn.

"Alright, I admit it," he replied. "I wasn't sure it really was you until just after you helped me up. Oh, just one suggestion. If you wanted to keep your disguise at a full, you shouldn't have lowered your hood…then I wouldn't have spotted that unique fighting sign engraved on that silver plate. All your martial arts styles are based around the Mystic Dragon Fist. It's not that hard to miss…"

"Then I guess I should have kept my hood up huh?" Gohan said with a grin. "Good one." They both smiled at each other. But then they fell silent, turning back to the ring to continue watching the fight. Videl had Shao against the ropes, sending all sort of swift combination punches at him that he found hard to block. After backing down some, he sent a left thrust knee up to drive her back. It helped, and when her guard was down he came in with a hard pressed assault. Driving combinations at her like she had done, he tried to force her away, only she didn't back down. Blocking all of his combinations wasn't hard. She sent a backward, right roundhouse kick aimed for his head, easily sending him staggering back after hitting him before eventually coming in with a new assault.

"It's good to see you again, Gohan," Piccolo said lightly. "And it's even better to see that you're a lot stronger then before. Training?" The Blind Bandit nodded affirmatively.

"Yup," he replied. "Just because I'm wandering the Spirit World, doesn't mean I can't do 'some' training to keep in shape. In fact…" The young Saiyan glanced over at Piccolo with a grin. "I'm in much better shape then I ever was before…"

Piccolo nodded. "Being part Saiyan, I bet there are a lot of benefits to come of it," the Namekian stated, glancing back at him. "And now that you're a seventeen year old male, I bet you have more interests to look too now. I see you've taken quite a shine to that Videl girl over there…" Gohan chuckled, turning back to stare out towards the ring. He watched as Videl sent a straight punch at her opponent, the martial artist grabbing it with both hands. Trembling on the spot with many bruises imprinted all over him, the weakened Shao gritted his teeth in an effort to hold her fist back. But just then, the girl brought her left fist back and sent it into his stomach in an upper cut, causing him to reel over in shock. She then drove a right knee into his face, staggering him. Though it was strange, the young Saiyan warrior was slightly aroused by this.

"Of course…" the young Saiyan said while fixing his right sleeve before crossing his arms again. "I'm reaching my prime, and I'm looking for a mate. That girl, Videl…she's just the one I'm looking for. She's really strong, in all aspects: spirit, heart, mind and body. I feel that she's the perfect one for me…and I only just met her…" Piccolo chuckled.

"Is this the old Gohan I'm speaking too?" the Namekian asked. "Or are you really an aroused stranger acting like him?"

"Heh…it's just me Piccolo," the young Saiyan replied. "As you may have noticed, I've changed as well, and not just in strength. Even though I stay true to the arts of fighting, as a male, I have needs and desires like everyone else. Videl is an amazing girl. Her strong spirit…it's simply awe striking. She's also very beautiful…the most beautiful girl I've ever seen in my life…" Piccolo nodded, eyes flickering.

"That's definitely you at your age kid…so," the Namekian said, turning to him. "How do you propose you capture her heart? Surely she won't come quietly. From what I saw, you two didn't really start out all flowers and sweet cheeks." Gohan shrugged.

"I'll make it up as I go along. I just wanted to have an impact on her first, preparing her for a later meeting. I won't make my move just yet. I'll wait a little longer, just to arose my senses a bit more over time," Gohan said, smiling mischievously. "Besides…the light of the full moon is best…" Piccolo cringed at this, but smiled, a bit amused. He chuckled.

"I don't know how to react to that, Gohan," the Namekian replied. "Either stick my tongue out in disgust, or burst out laughing…" The young Saiyan shrugged.

"Either one Piccolo, I don't mind," he exclaimed. Piccolo chose to remain stone cold, but smiled.

"No thanks kid, not today. Anyhow…" he glanced over at his former student and smirked. "Now that I know your true identity, do you want me to tell the others that the Blind Bandit is actually you in person?" he asked. Gohan shook his head, his expression turning serious, as well as his tone.

"No! Not yet Piccolo," the young Saiyan stated. "I want to save that till after the tournament, not during. It might create a folly among the rest of the guys. I also want to leave the impression that I'm just someone else challenging their strengths, that way I can bring out the best from within them and see how much they have grown. Like I quote to myself, '_a person's true potential arises under the strain of grave uncertainty'._ They will act as if I'm an enemy, and use all their skills to try and knock me out of this tournament. So please…could you keep quiet about this, Piccolo?" The Namekian nodded in understanding, his expression also becoming serious.

"Sure thing, Gohan," he replied. "As a friend, ally, companion and respectable martial artist, I fully understand your intentions. Just…try not to hurt the others, alright…" The young Saiyan nodded.

"Don't worry, they'll be alright. I'm in total control of my strengths…"

Piccolo gave him a final nod, and with a swish of his cape, the Namek rejoined his friends over at the entrance, leaving Gohan time to his thoughts.

As soon as Piccolo left, everyone bore witness to the victory of Videl Satan. After suffering blows that winded him, Master Shao was left staggered. Maintaining a weakened stance, it was clear he wanted to fight this to the very end to when he couldn't carry on. Videl honored his final moments with a final blow. Leaping into the air towards him, Videl twirled and, pulling back her left leg, threw it forward in a side, dive kick. She hurled at her opponent at an amazing speed, the momentum and strength put into this attack making it a signature move of hers. The raven haired girl yelled, "HAWK ARROW!!!" before her foot collided with the fighter's chest, sending him hurling across the ring and out of the arena. The blow was tremendous, strong and powerful, easily ending the fight by ring out.

With Shao lying back down on the grass and Videl standing triumphant on the ring, the crowds let out a united strand of cheers and applause. The raven haired victor smiled and raised her left fist, jabbing it into the air before bringing it down, grinning happily. "I WON!!!" She was all a joy. However, not forgetting her fighting respect, she walked over to the edge of the ring, leapt off and helped Shao back to his feet. He was grateful for her help and after stepping back, both fighters bowed to each other. The commentator, who was also wowed by the fight, leapt up onto the ring and carried on his duties.

"_**Folks, it looks as though our fight has been decided! The winner is none other then our very own Videl Satan!!!"**_ he yelled. The crowds burst out with a series of loud cheers and applause. With Videl giving one last wave to them all before taking leave…

Things were really beginning to look up…

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	41. Red Heat

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Red Heat_

_**Rounds pass…**_

The tournament continued on at a flying pace, with a lot of action coming of every round following Videl and Shao's match. The two of them vacated the ring, with Master Shao taking off without another word. The next fight to be had was between Vegeta and Leon, both of them showing a lot of promise. These two took the wind, confident at achieving victory. However, victory was already assured for one of them, with the Z-fighters already aware who was going to win this one. As soon as the tournament gong rang out, Leon jumped into the fray, only to be beaten within five seconds by ring out. It was a miracle Vegeta didn't kill him. Strangely, unlike most fighters, Leon exited the stadium with the same look of seriousness edged on his face. Even though he had suffered killer blows, he was able to dust himself down and leave without a fuss. Everyone found his attitude towards his injuries quite surprising.

The next round right after Vegeta and Leon's was the fight between James 'Rambo' Tzar and Jewel. With these two practically evenly matched competitors, they gave everyone a good show, unleashing their full potentials into this fight, with the use of their own fighting styles. Fists and kicks flew, both of them lashing out at one another. The Kick Boxer however, was at a certain disadvantage. Jewel's complex styles in Kung Fu gave James a hard time, using all sorts of combinations that the kick boxer found difficult to block. But that didn't mean James' own style wasn't a loss. His endurance allowed him to take most of the blows Jewel sent at him, and he was able to put up a real good fight, staggering the martial artist with his strong kicks and punches. Their differences made the fight all the more interesting. Whereas a Kick Boxer found strength in his combinations and blows, the Kung Fu artist found strength in his speed, as well as his combinations. Using both the elements they possessed, they both had chances at winning this. But in the end, it was jewel who won, when his opponent surrendered intentionally. The crowds had counted on this.

Round 5 went on without a hassle. Goku and his opponent O'Brien took to the ring, both with high confidence. The crowds were expecting a good fight from these two champions, knowing only one of them would win. Many were anticipating O'Brien to win, because of his incredible size, strength and popularity. However, a lot more were counting on Goku's win. When the gong rang out and the fight began, O'Brien attacked, only for Goku to down him with one blow. The quick knockout strike to the over confident wrestler's stomach insured his venture to the next round.

Now, many people may have anticipated a swinging victory for their champion Hercule Satan. However, nobody could put a price on his head for jack. Minutes after Goku's round, the sixth round was underway, with Mr. Satan taking to the ring with surprising colors. Krillin trotted on uninterested, with the champ calling him to bring it on…

* * *

"_Bring it on, little man!" Hercule called out, taking a fighting stance with both his fists balled. The stance he took was more like a pose then any kind of stance Krillin had ever seen, but it sure wowed the audience. The Z-fighters however, weren't impressed. Goku was rubbing his head and looking at the afro man oddly. Vegeta, 18# and Piccolo scowled with disgust and disinterest. And the rest of the fighters…well…Leon and Yumi found his display a bit odd, Jewel seemed more impressed then usual and others who were of the regular crowds just smiled and watched the champ with admiration. The crowds did so too, with Chi-Chi's group just giving him the 'strange' eye._

_If there was an award for 'Most Foolish Martial Artist', Hercule would win it. But then again, he was kind of a good fighter at heart, and would sometimes bring about a different side when true difficulties arose. The man was a split person type. You never know how he's going to act under a certain condition. Anyway, at this moment the man was show boating. Flexing his muscles and mustache twitching, the afro martial arts grinned cockily at his opponent who just stood where he was with his hands on his hips, and raising an eyebrow at him. Krillin wasn't that impressed._

_The cheering of the crowds encouraged Hercule's actions, the champ continuing to show off. It was then at the sound of the gong and the call of the commentator did the action really start. Hercule, easily underestimating his opponent, expected the former monk to attack him. However, Krillin was more in control than Mr. Satan had given him credit for, and just held his ground, yawning with a smile. Stretching out as if he had just gotten out of bed, Krillin returned to a proper standing posture and stared at his opponent. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and shook his head. Hercule, quickly growing frustrated that his opponent was doing nothing, decided to act now, and put on a good show. With a war cry, he sprinted at his opponent, right fist held up._

"_Big mistake pal!" he yelled, sending his fist down at Krillin. The short fighter sensed him coming, and easily retaliated in a manner befitting this moment. He wanted to make this as short and as embarrassing as possible. As Mr. Satan's fist was coming in, the former monk brought his right hand about and back-slapped the champ across the face, sending Hercule flying across the ring, over the out of bounds grass and crashing straight into the wall dividing the ring from the stands. A dust cloud rose and the ground shook, a sure imprint being left underneath the smoke screen._

_Everyone watching in the stadium was shocked, silenced and a loss for words. However, the Z-fighters were rather pleased with this, Vegeta and 18# smirking while Goku crossed his arms._

"_Well, that's that!" the spiky haired Saiyan exclaimed._

* * *

It was only after Krillin launched his first and only blow, did the champ's parading finally stop. Hercule found himself imprinted in the end wall, sprayed out and looking more shocked then ever. It was a comical sight. The crowds, as mentioned, were speechless. But, _what goes around comes around_, and eventually the people regained their senses. Returning to that moment, the realization of what had happened seeped in. However, with a final word from the remarkably still conscious champ, Hercule left the ring with as many cheers as he had come. As of now, the title of strongest man in the world was passed on to Krillin. It was about time the champ had retired, what with his many victories and millions of dollars. Though he was a little bruised, he still managed to keep a smile. 

Of all the matches that have taken place, the seventh round had to be the strangest of the lot. Major J. Hamilton and Yumi Lee were called up, with hundreds of people immediately anticipating the soldier's victory. However, they seriously misjudged the highly cheerful, energetic girl, who was acting beyond her age. When the bell rang, the two hit it off, with the soldier running in, boxing stance and all. His close quarter combat skills, unfortunately, were no match for the girl's speed and agility. It was then brought to the Major's attention that his opponent was blessed with an incredible talent: Ninjitsu. She staggered the Green Beret with swift, incredibly fast punches, kicks and a whole arsenal of other combinations not even the soldier saw coming. Everyone was shocked, but lesser then the time Hercule was beat. Within three minutes, after delivering a barrage of blows to the big guy's head, he collapsed into unconsciousness. Yumi insured victory where her boyfriend couldn't, and bounded off of the ring, singing happily.

Finally, the final round of this division of the tournament was up, held between 18# and her opponent Holt Tark. The scarred fighter faced off against the blonde haired beauty with courage, having recognizably faced many fierce battles in his lifetime. He was molded by them, and hardened in strength and stamina. However, he had no idea what he was up against in this tournament, and as soon as the round started, he engaged his opponent in a futile fight. His attacks were useless against 18#, who didn't take the match seriously, since he was nothing, and took them all. For Holt, it was like hitting a steel wall. Moments later, the guy was knocked clean out cold, failing in his attempts.

And just like that, within the hour, the first bout was over. Proceeding on after a half an hour break, the quarter finals began, with two very familiar competitors taking to the ring…

* * *

_**Round 1- Quarter Finals…**_

"_**Ladies and gentlemen thank you once again for your patience!!!"**_ the commentator yelled through his microphone, a grin spread on his face and shades glittering in the sun. The crowds, who had been silenced during the half an hour break, finally got back into the mood. Many had let out a loud cheer in response to the commentator's opening words, excitement returning to them. _**"Now that we're all back and ready to continue, lets move on to the first round of the quarter finals! And our first contestants, who will be taking to the ring, are Videl Satan and the illustrious Blind Bandit! COME ON OUT FIGHTERS!!!"**_

Under the loud cheer emitted by the crowds, eyes settled onto the entrance to the warm up room far below where the fighters emerged. With the roaring of the audience still going out, seconds into their calls and cries for a fight, both the Blind Bandit and Videl appeared. With Videl on the right and the disguised Gohan on the left, the two of them proceeded calmly towards the ring, the crowds yelling out for a good fight. The raven haired girl glared over at her opponent, eyes hardening on him as they continued to walk.

As she took him fully into her sights, her mind kicked into the game and she began to take in their following fight into consideration. _"I saw what this guy can do…and I know I don't stand even the slightest chance. The punch machine, his speed, his fight in the first round…these aren't just coincidences, he's a real super man of some sort. If I have any chance of beating him, I'll have to give it my all. There's no way in hell I'm losing to this guy!"_ Suddenly, she felt her face heat up a bit, and she blinked in surprise, reaching up and touching her left cheek. Lowering her hand, she blinked even more, scowling in the end. _"And why the hell am I blushing!"_

The two of them continued on, stepping up onto the ring and heading towards the centre. When they reached it, both of them then broke, walking away from each other and coming to stand at their starting positions. After which, they turned towards each other and glared their opponent's down. Videl locked onto the Blind Bandit, and Gohan locked onto Videl. The two of them maintained firm standing positions, with the crowds cheering nestled in the background. Everyone was watching with eagerness and anticipation.

Even though Videl had her opponent squarely in her sights, she couldn't see the smirk nestled on his face underneath his mask. The young Saiyan was looking forward to this match, whereas his opponent was looking forward to getting him back for what he did. But whether it was for getting revenge or just plain fighting, they were definitely going to give the audience something to remember. Intentions of beating their opponent were high. However, both of them were planning to do this in style. Neither could wait. The Z-fighters, strangely enough, were also anticipating a good fight. They all stood by the entrance of the waiting room, looking out onto the ring with arms crossed and interested and suspicious expressions in play. Leon and Yumi had also joined them at the entrance, wanting to see this match for them selves.

With the crowds cheering placed into the background, everyone watching from the waiting room were beginning to add comments to the silence fallen amongst them.

"Ha!" Vegeta spoke up. "This fight is easily going down to that Blind Bandit fellow. That onna-no-ko doesn't stand even the slightest chance!"

Goku sighed. "Yeah, I guess so. But don't count her out just yet. I'm sure she'll give it her all in this match, and give us something to wonder about…"

Krillin blinked, hands on his hips. "Uhh…Hmm…I'm not sure she really has much more to give, except maybe to give in," the former monk stated, looking rather nervous. "Boy, I hope that girl comes out of this one okay. That Blind Bandit really pulverized Piccolo…" The Namekian fixed an annoyed scowl at the short fighter in front of him. But when he figured it was true, he couldn't raise any defense to form an argument and just went on to watch the fight.

Leon blinked, arms still crossed with his foot tapping the ground. It would have been viewed as a sign of impatience, what with his overall look. But it wasn't even close to impatience. It was more along the lines of eagerness and anticipation. His cold stone, blue eyes glared over at the Blind Bandit, a slight smile edging across his features. He glanced down at Yumi, who smiled up at him in kind, nodding to him.

"Master Echo sure has changed a lot, hasn't he?" Yumi exclaimed, quiet enough so that the Z-fighters didn't catch on. They wouldn't have anyway, since their attention was firmly fixated on the ring now.

"He sure has," Leon also exclaimed, brushing white strands of hair away from his eyes. "It's a wonder what three months can do to you…"

Yumi grinned, placing her hands on her hips and sighing. "Guess he's using his disguise to get by his friends' eyes. Even though I'm not one to criticize, I think that outfit makes him look quite a bit out of character…" Leon smirked.

"I'd much rather like to see him transform, then we'll really see how much he's himself again," the leather-wearing fighter stated. They hung back, not wanting to get too close.

Back on the ring, Gohan and Videl continued to stare each other down, with the crowds watching all around them. With their cheers still echoing at the back of their minds, they were given way to their main focus. Their opponent, and the prospects this upcoming fight had. Their patience was rewarded soon enough with the commentator, who was now ring side, raised his right hand and brought it down in a singular movement.

"_**FIGHTERS, LET THE MATCH BEGIN!!!"**_ he yelled. Videl nodded affirmatively as her glare hardened and she assumed her regular fighting stance. Feet spread to shoulder width apart, she stepped forward with her left foot, brought her right hand up and held her left fist back. Her eyes never left her opponent for that one moment. The Blind Bandit remained standing, smiling under his face mask.

"This is it," she said loudly toward him, her voice carrying above the cheering of the crowds. "Time to get you back for that little memento you left me…"

Gohan smirked and nodded, reaching up and grabbing the collar of his hood. "I can tell you're anxious to get into this. Maybe I should lighten my load a little, and show you a bit more of what I'm really made of…" Gripping his cloak more tightly, he brought it up and over, and in a swish of the long, fabricated material, he removed it. In that one movement, he tossed his weighted article aside across the ring, where it landed out of bounds. The crowds were silenced for a moment, with hundreds of people gazing in shock for a moment. Videl was also shocked, standing wide eyed and speechless at what she saw. Suddenly, tons of girls let out squeals of delight with many others letting out wolf-whistles and other obscene calls.

There, the Blind Bandit now stood uncloaked, in half-clad form. Now you could see what he was like underneath that dark disguise of his. He still wore black gi pants, but with several new additions to his uniform. Instead of his old gi shoes, he now wore a set of black combat boots, with leather ankle cuffs tied firmly to keep him from losing a firm stance. Above that, he wore a red sash around his waist to hold his pants up, with two brown leather belts hanging loosely, one of which holding a brown pouch of his infinite Senzu Beans, and a second holding his herbs. Both of them were tightly bound, but not completely hidden. Everything above that…well…it didn't leave much to the imagination. He was completely bare above the waistline; his clear, smooth, flawless skin shining in the sun for the entire world to see. And to add to it, pure muscles donned his upper body: from those extremely broad shoulders, to his mouth watering six-pack, buffed up chest and law-breaking arms. His body was a whole sight to behold that not even the Greek Gods could reach. Not big enough to satisfy a body builder, his muscles were perfectly toned to suit him and it had an incredible impact on people. All the girls in the stadium gawked, while the guys felt jealousy strike them. Some members of the Z-fighters were also shocked and couldn't help but stare.

Gohan revealed to the world what he was made of underneath, and it was truly an eye opener. The only things on his upper body that were covered were his face and neck area. Aside from the blindfolds and the blue, crystal pendant (which was hidden), the red scarf he wore tightly over his mouth had itself fallen over his shoulders. One part hung over his front, while the other over his back. The young Saiyan didn't mind. Fixing his red weight bands, the still disguised Saiyan grunted and then lowered his arms, sighing in relief.

"Ahh…feels good to get out of that cloak once in a while. The lack of movement restrictions and limitations should help out a lot," the young Saiyan exclaimed, smirking when he saw Videl still staring shocked at him. The girl was speechless, with that anime pose simply amusing in the eyes. "I was getting a little hot under that cloak too…this makes me feel a lot better!" He couldn't help but smile. Man, it was fun to torture her…

Videl shook her head, pulling back into a stance and looking back at him, biting her bottom lip. She looked rather taken aback now at everything she said, and had just plain forgotten about everything now that this sight was presented to her. The girl was also blushing brightly, eyes wavering. Videl tried her best not to stare.

"_Damn…he is fine…NO! Don't go there Videl, just…think of something else. OH GOD! Stop tormenting me!!!"_ she screamed in her head, shutting her eyes again. Shaking her head for a moment, she looked back up, a brighter blush now taking shape. You see, not only was she blushing at the sight standing before her, but also from some very…not unpleasant, but inappropriate thoughts. _"Just stay cool girl…oh! How the hell am I supposed to hit that gorgeous, perfect, extremely hot…STOP RIGHT THERE!!! Just forget it. Think of winning! Just think of winning!!!"_

Gohan knew he was having an impact on her now, and was highly amused. _"There, that ought to satisfy me for a while…"_

"Ouchi wah-wah!" Chi-Chi exclaimed, also gawking along with several of her other friends at the male fighter down on the ring. "What an eyesore!"

"Whoa!" Bulma breathed with eyes wide as well. "I may be a married woman, but damn, he is one fine catch…"

Oolong stared at the two women behind him and sighed, propping his head on his hand and staring back down at the ring with a bored expression in play. "Girls…what're you gonna do?"

Videl gritted her teeth, leaping back and taking an even firmer stance. She thought keeping her distance for a few seconds would help calm her thumping heart. But the fact that he was still standing in front of her didn't help much. Gohan chuckled and flung one of the scarf's arms over his left shoulder, cracking his neck and stretching out his arms. With that, he returned to a proper standing position and stepped forward with his left leg, arms at his sides. Videl growled, crouching low a bit more.

"Do you think those muscles impress me!" she yelled. It was true, they did actually. But she didn't let that cloud her judgment. "Well they don't! _'Liar'_ So enough kidding! Let's get to fighting!!!" With a yell Videl leapt forward with amazing speed and height, as if charging him using flight ki. Gohan stood his ground, watching her approach him. There was no stopping this now. It was time to fight!

Videl opened up with a right, straight punch, the attack soaring at her opponent with increased backup momentum. The Blind Bandit smiled and easily blocked it with his left arm, fist connecting with rock hard muscle. Videl yelled and pulled back her right leg while still hovering in that position. With a powerful thrust, she sent her knee into his chest, only to have that blocked by the same left arm. She didn't stop there though. The girl followed that up by landing and sending a left jab, a right hook, a left uppercut, a right roundhouse kick, and a left side kick. Her attacks were deemed useless when her opponent easily blocked them all with his left arm, stopping her dead when he grabbed onto her left leg. Here, he wasn't afraid to show her this small portion of his strength. The young Saiyan smiled down at her, but she didn't know that. After seeing she was unable to yank her leg from his grip, she moved to an alternative. She back flipped, kicking up with her right and forcing him to let go. The Blind Bandit did so, but that was his choice. From here, he watched her leap away from him, performing a few more back flips before stopping crouched low in her Eagle Stance. Teeth gritted, the angered girl pushed off the ground she had landed on and leapt at him again, this time jumping to a greater altitude.

Stopping at the pinnacle, the girl then dove down at him, left foot extended. With a yell, she unleashed her symbolic Hawk Arrow kick, intent on knocking the stuffing's out of her opponent. The Blind Bandit smirked, stepping to the side at the last minute with the girl flying straight past him and kicking the ground instead of him. She cracked the ground with that blow, yet wasn't hurt herself. Growling, she pursued her opponent, spinning round to her right and leaping at Gohan, bringing her left leg back. Reaching him within seconds, she threw a triple-roundhouse kick at him with the same leg, the young Saiyan holding up his right arm and blocking the series of blows with a smirk on is face. The girl stopped on the third, kicking off of him with her left leg a second later and flipping back. She landed on the solid ground a second later, pulled into a defensive stance. The Blind Bandit gazed down at her, still smiling under his mask. Videl saw that her opponent wasn't going to attack any time soon, so decided to attack instead. With an angry yell, she launched herself at him and began attacking him ruthlessly. Flurries of punches and kicks came flying at Gohan, who slowly backed away while avoiding and parrying her blows easily, using only his left arm whenever it was necessary. His eyes kept an eye on the raven haired girl's lightning fast movements and attacks. She had incredible skill, her technique and combinations perfected in every way. However, every technique had its flaw, but he didn't bother marking it out. He just wanted to carry on with this fight, toying with her. Videl continued to drive him back with her assault, fists and kicks flying through the air. Little did she know was that her attacks were nothing to him. Either way, her opponent was having the time of his life.

Bringing her left fist back, she drove it forward, aimed for his face. Gohan swiftly caught it in his left hand, holding her in place right there. Videl gritted her teeth and growled angrily, eyes flaring and wavering. It was just then the Blind Bandit moved her fist down a bit and smiled at her, seeing her expression clearly imprinted right there. The raven haired girl was rather surprised he was able to move her fist, but after realizing they were still glaring at each other there, Videl brought her right fist back and drove it forward, Gohan pushed her left fist away and caught her other fist, holing it right there with little or no effort. After which, the girl yanked her fist out of his grip sharply and sent a left roundhouse kick aimed at his face. The young Saiyan moved his hand around to block it, easily stopping it by raising a finger and grinning. Videl didn't stop. Bringing her leg back down, she leapt into the air and spun around, sending a backwards round house kick aimed at his head with her right leg. Gohan ducked it and slipped under her, the girl landing behind him when he stood up. Videl wheeled around, seeing her opponent standing there. Yelling out in frustration, she took another stance before flying at him. His back was turned, so this was her chance!

She began sending punches aimed at the back of his head and upper back, but she got one hell of a surprise when she saw her opponent avoid them easily, his movements leaving afterimages behind where he stood. When she launched the first six punches, she stopped, left arm extended on the seventh. It was then Gohan's form stopped blurring and he spun around, grabbing her wrist and pulling her forward. Videl gritted her teeth and tried to yank her arm free of his grip, but was unable too. So, she moved to a new move and kicked off of her opponent's thigh. She used his rock hard build to push off of him, with Gohan releasing her so that she didn't hurt herself. It was a foolish move to try with such a strong opponent, yet he couldn't but figure that it must have worked with other opponents around her strength. So, he just returned to a normal standing position and watched his opponent back-flip away, landing 20 meters away and dropped into yet another fighting stance. Both of them glared at each other, Videl panting slightly and Gohan just standing as he was. The crowds were cheering wildly, with the Z-fighters staring quietly from the sidelines. This fight was sure moving up fast.

Videl gritted her teeth and backed down a bit, watching her opponent stare at her. _"Damn it…on top of the uneasiness and inability to hurt him, this guy just keeps staring at me! Grgh…I wish I didn't follow him in the first place!"_ She shook her head switching from defensive to offensive, her stance lowering her guard. _"No time to think that now Videl, you still have a fight to win!"_

Gohan smiled and nodded to her. "Excellent work, Videl," he exclaimed. "Any normal opponent would have bowled over already…" Videl growled and pointed at him, jabbing her index finger in his direction.

"Shut up! I don't need your comments!" she yelled, taking a stance again and leaping at him. She charged, bringing back her right fist and sending it at him.

The Blind Bandit caught her fist easily, and then her other fist. The two of them opened palms and moved into a game of mercy, a grappling match. They lowered their hands to shoulder height and glared at each other, Videl looking angrier then ever while Gohan just smiled. However, he did have a bit of a trifle with what she had said to him.

"That hurt…" Gohan said, the two of them maintaining their positions. His opponent tried her best to overpower him, growling through gritted teeth and still glaring up at him hatefully. "Come on Videl, I'm just trying to offer you a compliment. You really fancied those other ones I gave to you earlier today."

Videl blushed brightly, trembling on the spot. It was happening again. She had to put a stop to it before she had any second thoughts about this fight. "SHUT UP!!!" she yelled, pulling back her right leg and throwing it up at him in a roundhouse kick. The young Saiyan released, ducking low and slipping back in a singular motion. The raven haired girl leapt away, and after cranking back into a crouched stance, she sprung at her opponent, beginning to deliver a series of punches and kicks, all aimed at his head. Gohan avoided the first few but then began blocking the others with his left arm only as he had done so before. After zeroing on all of her attacks, he managed to exhaust the girl easily, which prompted her to send just one, jab at him, which he caught easily.

Then, in a blink of an eye, he moved around behind her, catching both her arms in a lock and holding her there. The young Saiyan smiled, while Videl fought and withered under his grip. Shutting her eyes and gritting her teeth, she tried with all her might to shake free of this, but was unable too. His grip was way too strong for her. Strangely enough, it didn't hurt at all. He really knew where to hold her where it didn't hurt. After a few more second of withering, she glared behind her, body trembling.

"Why?" she asked. "Why do you still think that I'd possibly fall for the likes of you? You know this teasing and tempting is getting you no where with me!" she pressured on, ceasing her struggling for now. Gohan smiled and chuckled, moving his head in closer so it hovered behind her right ear.

"Oh really?" he replied in a hot whisper. "Why? Am I not thrilling your best interests?" he asked smoothly, ticking her ear with his breathing. Videl blushed again, now trying even harder to break free of his grip. The Blind Bandit wasn't letting up even the slightest, and he was still tormenting her. She continued withering under his lock. "Just tell me what you want?"

Videl growled and glared over her shoulder, a blush still imprinted on her features. "I want you to lay off me!!!" Gohan chuckled, his face still hovering close to her ear.

"The body's a funny thing, Videl," he exclaimed, so that only he and his opponent could hear. "It can tell the truth when words fail to. The way your body is shaking, the quickness of your breath, your flushed face and your racing heart beat tells me that you don't want me too…" The young Saiyan held her arms in place with one hand and moved it around to her stomach, pulling her closer to him. Through this action, he light rubbed her stomach through her shirt. Videl was immediately hit by this and she let out a moan of sheer pleasure, shutting her eyes tightly.

"_Shit!"_ she thought in her head as she continued to wither from his administrations. _"He's right! Great…what do I do now! He's got me stuck between a rock and a hot place this time!"_ she thought, before another wave of pleasure swept through her, causing her to reel back and moan a little louder. But the volume was not enough for the crowds to hear it as one of that. They thought she was actually groaning in agony. _"Oh…this feels so good!"_

Gohan chuckled. After a few more seconds, he figured he had gotten through to her. He released her arms and stepped back, watching her step forward. Catching her breath, the girl turned around, locking her sights on the fighter standing behind her. It was after realizing he had let her go, did her fighting side come back into play. Taking in a deep breath and calming herself, she took another stance and glared at him. The structure of her form was once again solid, and she could get back to their fight this time. The Blind Bandit just smile, opening his right palm and bringing it back.

"I enjoyed our fight, Videl! But I think it's time to move along," Gohan said. "Don't blink…" In one, effortless swipe, he threw his right hand in a strike, the force used in it sending a blast of wind straight at his opponent. Videl was knocked off her feet by the galling winds, yelling out in shock. She was sent flying across the ring towards the out of bounds area from that very attack, and was on route of going over. Gohan was quick to act. He shot forward, catching up to her as she was falling out of the ring. In a blink of an eye, he grabbed her hand, just as she was about to go over. Everything seemed to stop there, the crowds silenced.

Videl gazed in surprise up at the young Saiyan, who smiled at her through his mask and slowly, lowered her out of the ring. He set the raven haired girl lightly down on the grass, releasing her hand and nodding to her as he floated back down onto the ring.

"Great fight," he exclaimed, saluting to her and backing away. Videl just smiled back and waved, still a little shocked from that little maneuver he had pulled.

Moments later, the crowds and the commentator, who had watched the whole thing, returned to earth and began processing what had happened. Murmuring erupted amongst the people, but then, seconds later, applause started up. Accompanied by cheers and shouts from the audience, sound returned to the stands, everyone all around congratulating the Blind Bandit of his victory. The young Saiyan placed his right fist into his left hand and bowed to Videl, who bowed in return. He then bowed to the crowds in thanks before turning on his heel and heading off of the ring.

"_**Ladies and gentlemen, it is decided!"**_ the announcer shouted into his microphone, pointing towards the half naked victor. _**"The winner of this match is, the Blind Bandit!!!"**_ Gohan stepped down the stairs and collected his cloak from the floor. Dusting it down, he checked for any holes or damages to it before, beginning to head back to the waiting room. But under the cheering of the crowds, he heard someone come up behind him and stopped.

"Hey!" the mysterious figure said, Gohan easily recognizing it to be Videl's voice. "Blind Bandit…" The young Saiyan turned around, glancing over at the girl who stood behind him with her hands placed on her hips and an angry expression on his face. He blinked, a bit surprised to see a light blush on her face.

"Yes," he replied. Videl glared at him for a few more seconds, looking to be on the verge of exploding. But then, in a surprising twist, she smiled and walked up to him, removing her hands from her hips. Then, when she reached him, she stood on her toes, lowered his scarf mask a bit and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. She then lowered herself a bit, smirking up at him.

"Don't let this get to your head," she stated in a whisper. "I'm only thanking you for saving me and not letting me fall out of the ring and hurt myself…" Gohan blinked, but then smirked in kind and nodded.

"I won't," he replied, nodding to her. "It was a pleasure Miss Satan…" Videl grinned, running her hand down his shoulder and chest before removing it from him. She couldn't help it, he was really hot.

"It was a pleasure too, Blind Bandit. I look forward to fighting you again in next year's tournament," the girl exclaimed, punching him lightly in the arm while walking around him. "I'll be waiting…"

Gohan smiled after her. But then, before she disappeared into the waiting room, he called to her. "Hey, Videl!" The girl stopped and turned to him. The young Saiyan reached into his pocket, searching for a moment before pulling out what looked to be a blue rock. With a nod, he tossed it over, which she caught easily without any blow back of force. The girl took a look at the mineral he had given her, and marveled at what it actually was. It turned out to be a large, blue crystal; a rock she had never seen before in her life (it was one of the pieces Gohan had picked up from his castle). It shone and glittered brightly under the sun, with Videl gasping in shock at how beautiful it was. She looked up to him, seeing him nod to her again. "Just a little something I want you to have. Think of it as a promise keeper…"

Videl took a moment to think about what he said. Seconds later, she understood what he meant and nodded with a bright smile. "I'll see you again soon, Blind Bandit…"

Gohan saluted to her, and she waved back. With that, the raven haired girl turned on her heel and disappeared into the warm up room. Now that she was out of sight, Gohan flung the cloak over him, strapping it down and walking back into the waiting room…

He was definitely looking forward to seeing her again…

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_

* * *

_**Power levels:**_

**(Round 1):**

Piccolo: 85,000,000

Gohan (Blind Bandit-Base Suppressed): 15,000,000

Gohan (Blind Bandit-Base Full Power): 120,000,000

**(Round 2):**

Videl: 286

Master Shao: 129

**(Round 3)**

Vegeta: 75,000,000

Leon Parker: 10,000

**(Round 4):**

James 'Rambo' Tzar: 110

Jewel: 109

**(Round 5):**

Goku: 80,000,000

Andrew O'Brien: 125

**(Round 6):**

Hercule: 137

Krillin: 3,000,000

**(Round 7):**

Maj. Jay Hamilton: 120

Yumi Lee: 8,500

**(Round 8):**

18#: 30,000,000

Holt Tark: 112

* * *

_**Quarter Finals):**_

**(Round 1):**

Videl: 287

Gohan (Blind Bandit-Base Suppressed): 15,000,000

Gohan (Blind Bandit-Base Full Power): 120,000,000


	42. Parting Clouds

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Parting Clouds…_

_**More rounds pass…**_

Once again, after the match between the Blind Bandit and Videl came to a close, we drag on through the next line of fights. The crowds were having a whirl at the sights this tournament was holding for them, and were all excited to see the next ones. If Videl and the Bind Bandit's fight was as good as it was, then perhaps Vegeta and Jewel's has to be good too. However, in a manner of speaking, the fight was as short as both fighters. They both hit the ring, Vegeta all bored and serious, and Jewel all calm and collected. Then, after assuming positions, the gong rang, and the fight was on. The flame haired Saiyan just stood with his arms crossed, glaring at his opponent with little interest. Jewel, confident he would win, charged and attack his opponent recklessly. But before his fist could even make contact, Vegeta just backslaps him across the ring and out of bounds. Those who cheered on Jewel before were shot dead in the face by the sight, with Vegeta walking off the ring as if nothing had happened. His blonde haired opponent had to be carted away on a stretcher.

The next fight to follow Vegeta's was the battle between old friends. Having not fought each other _officially_ for years, Goku and Krillin strolled onto the stage in front of hundreds of spectators, both of them eager and high spirited. When they took their places and the gong rang, they dropped into their stances. The fight went off with a flying start, the intensity matching the beginning of Goten and Trunks' fight in the finals of the junior division. Krillin gave it his all, whilst Goku fought to defend but also to attack. Both wanted to show each other how much they had changed, impressing the crowds and also shocking them. After a grueling battle that left both of them with disheveled gi's and bruised faces, Goku emerged as a victor by ring-out. It was all fair play, with the various fire work/light displays, aka: energy attacks, being all real. The crowds were wowed, and the title that Krillin once held was passed down to Goku. It would eventually have to reach a standing point, with the overall winner holding the title of worlds strongest.

Finally, there was 18#'s battle against Yumi Lee. The cheerful, ninjitsu artist skipped along the path and up onto the ring, singing happily while closely followed by her former android opponent. 18# was very uneasy about this for a couple of reasons. One, the girl wasn't really letting on with most of her strengths, and two she didn't look like she could hold a fork against her. It made the blonde worried because of this; she didn't know how strong she actually was. Yumi easily wiped the floor with her opponent in the previous round, and has so far shown a lot of potential. Maybe this next fight was to be quite interesting.

It _was_, but only for a short time. 18# started off with a charge, attacking swiftly and decisively with singular blows that would have surely insured her victory, only to find that her opponent was very good at evading. So, picking up the pace, the two of them were eventually locked in a quiet battle, Yumi mostly avoiding her opponent whilst 18# tried to catch her. The android's opponent actually managed to land a few blows, but they were nothing. Within just a minute, Yumi was beat just like her boyfriend by ring out. The finishing moves were quite violent, so it was for certain that she was also knocked out. However that was not to be as the girl easily got to her feet. Despite all her injuries, she was as cheerful as ever. The uncaring Yumi and Leon showed towards their injuries and beatings shocked and surprised everyone. Even after taking blows from the Z-fighters they're still on their feet. Something was definitely up.

But the time the Z-fighters were given didn't leave the group a moment to solve these questions unfolding. It was time for the semi-finals, and the first two up to start off this part of the competition were Vegeta and the Blind Bandit…

* * *

_**First Round – Semi Finals**_

Now out on the ring, Vegeta and his opponent, the Blind Bandit, glared each other down. The Saiyan Prince, no longer standing with his arms crossed, now stood with a serious expression fixated on his face. He was also sweating a bit from nervousness, as he has no idea how strong his opponent really is. He can only just narrow it down through the fights the blind warrior has already been through. Gohan on the other hand, needed not worry as he was certain he could beat Vegeta. The Prince of all Saiyans has shown a lot of promise in his fights, and was sure to be a good opponent to test his strengths against. If there's anyone who could take a punch, it was Vegeta, but that wasn't really what Gohan was aiming for…

The crowds cheered wildly, looking down at the two fighters with eager eyes and thrill in their voices. The Z-fighters in the waiting room also watched, with Leon and Yumi standing at the side windows and looking through with anticipating. Both of them were quiet and curious, wanting to see how well their master did in this battle. Elsewhere, among the crowds up in the stands, Chi-Chi, Bulma and the rest of their group was also watching the ring. They all expected a sound victory from Vegeta, knowing that he was one of the strongest here. But they didn't count his opponent out yet. If he was only as half as good when he fought Piccolo, then this fight was certainly going to be a blast…literally. They just sat and stared, not daring to blink for fear of missing the whole thing.

Then, out from the sidelines, the commentator stepped up and made his call. _**"FIGHTERS, YOU MAY BEGIN!!! GIVE US A GOOD SHOW!!!"**_

"Go, Vegeta!" Bulma called. "Beat him!!!"

"Give us something to remember you two!" Chi-Chi also shouted, "Don't disappoint us, and make every shot count!!" Yamcha and Ren stared at the two women, then turned to each other and shrugged.

Vegeta dropped into a flawless fighting stance, eyes still locked firmly with his opponent and a frown imprinted on his face. Easily remembering what had happened to Piccolo earlier, the Saiyan Prince wasn't inclined to let the same thing happen to him. He feels he has seen too much from this Blind Bandit already, and now he was going to end it. Gohan saw Vegeta assume his fighting stance, but didn't bother to take his. Instead, he just stood their, stepping forward with his left foot and remaining there, a serious expression held on his own face underneath his mask. Silence fell among them both, neither of them not bothering to say a single word.

Then, on queue, Vegeta charged. With a burst of power, he propelled himself across the ring at his opponent. With a growl, he maintained his charged state, cranking his right fist back and holding his left forward. Eyes flashed as he charged at the Blind Bandit, sights still locked onto him firmly. Then, when he was close enough, he struck out with a powerful straight punch. But suddenly, as his fist was an inch away, Gohan's form blurred out and Vegeta went straight through a transparent form of his opponent. Shocked, the Saiyan Prince was unable to stop himself as he flew forward, going straight through the ghost. He didn't have to stop anyway, as the transparent form of the Blind Bandit solidified and spun around, reaching out and grabbing Vegeta's right foot with his left hand. Grasping it firmly, the young Saiyan then leapt into the air and threw the Prince forward, sending him hurling across the ring, yelling in shock. The crowds wowed, whereas the Z-fighters stood bewildered.

The flame haired Saiyan spun out of control as he flew across the ring, gritting his teeth and looking back the way he had gone. There, he saw the Blind Bandit pursuing him. His opponent was gaining on him, and was sure to outflank him before he flew out of the ring. The Prince was not going to let that happen. Growling loudly, Vegeta pulled himself into an upright position and skidded across the ring fast. By digging his feet deep into the concrete surface, he was able to slow himself down, dust flying. Seconds later, he stopped just short of the ring's edge and, with a push, leapt into the air through super speed. Just as his form was blurring out, the Blind Bandit appeared, punching out with a right hook that was aimed for his face. There, he stopped, his cloak flowing in the fierce winds while his form remained suspended. Just then, Vegeta appeared above him and came down with a left side kick, letting out a angered roar as he kicked his opponent clean in the back, sending him out of the ring and out of bounds.

Grinning, Vegeta was certain he had won. But suddenly, just as the Blind Bandit was about to hit the grass, his form became transparent before dematerializing completely. This shocked everyone who was watching, especially Vegeta and the commentator. Now no one knew where he was. The Saiyan Prince had lost his target and, backing away, began looking around for his opponent. Eyes all a whirl, Vegeta then stopped and spun around, teeth gritted. There, standing in the centre of the ring with his arms crossed, stood the Blind Bandit. The warrior was like a statue, but was at least in clear sight. In spite of his frozen shock, Vegeta growled and spun around, powering up a bit and sending himself at his opponent again at lightning speed.

Appearing in front of his opponent, the Saiyan Prince sent a right punch at the blind warrior, only for that to be blocked by a swift left arm. Vegeta then threw a left hook, that blow blocked as well. These attacks were followed up by a right uppercut, left punch, right punch, right hook, left hook, right roundhouse kick, left side kick, right knee, left hook and right punch. These attacks he threw swiftly with speed, all of them capable of reducing a mountain to nothing. But as it turns out, his attacks were seen as nothing as the Blind Bandit easily blocked them all, whilst not moving from the same spot on which he stood. Frustrated, Vegeta pulled back and, with a growl of anger, threw a powered up, straight punch, his fist suddenly getting caught in the blind warrior's grasp. The Saiyan Prince gasped, and was about to get himself out when his wrist was twisted around, a loud crack heard upon this move. The Blind Bandit smirked, immobilizing his opponent from doing anything before turning on his side and driving a left side kick straight into the Prince's exposed side. Another shock wave and crack was heard when the foot landed, pressure being applied and stretching Vegeta where he stood. It made the whole crowd cringe, with the sounds of Vegeta's groaning agony going out everywhere. However, the Z-fighters found this move used by the Blind Bandit quite familiar.

After using this move, Gohan then brought his left leg back and then drove it up into Vegeta's face, knocking him back. The Saiyan Prince was easily staggered, the one-two blow sending bolts of pain shooting through him. The Blind Bandit released his wrist, after which he leapt into the air and, spinning around quickly, sent a backwards right, side kick straight into Vegeta's chest. The blow sent the Prince flying across the ring, where he landed 30 meters away, skidding on for another 15 before stopping altogether. The Blind Bandit landed, eyes plastered on his downed opponent. He had left the crowds and the Z-fighters standing in silent shock.

Vegeta, finally recovering from his brush with the Blind Bandit's strength and speed, growled and staggered to his feet. Shaking his head when he got to his feet, he wobbled a moment and then glared up, teeth gritted and eyes narrowed. His face was bruised up and his gi was more disheveled then normal. Gohan continued to glare, smirking slightly under his mask when he sensed Vegeta back on his feet. The Saiyan Prince fumed, growling and balling his fists tightly. Suddenly, all at once, his energy began to rise with the ring around him shaking with tremors of force, debris beginning to rise off of the ground and the tiles cracking. The Prince's eyes flashed dangerously, alerting Gohan of his energy increase…

"That's it!" Vegeta hollered. "This has gone on long enough _Blind Bandit_! Now I'll show you who you're messing with! Witness the power of a Super Saiyan!!!"

Gohan smiled. This ought to be good. With a low growl, Vegeta raised his arms a bit, muscles bulging as pure power began to radiate off of his form. The debris rising into the air cracked under the invisible forces he let off, his body trembling along with the ground. Glaring down, Vegeta brought his concentrated power to a high rise, bringing about his full power. In a split second, the Saiyan Prince raised his arms and brought it down with a loud cry of rage, a golden aura exploding around him with his hair flashing gold and eyes teal. The explosion of power punched a crater into the ground, a gust of wind blasting out from his aura. It was done. With a final yell, Vegeta launched himself from his position and charged at his opponent.

"It's OVER!!!" the Prince roared, hooking around through the air and closing in on his opponent. The Blind Bandit crouched and leapt into the air, retreating as Vegeta sent a right hook at his previous position. His aura still flaring, the Prince gave chase, reaching his opponent in the air a second later and sending a left roundhouse kick at him. Gohan weaved around it, avoiding the attack again as Vegeta spun around and charged again. This time, the Prince opened with a right hook, a left punch and a right side kick, all attack the Blind Bandit avoided before flying back and moving around, both fighters gaining altitude quickly whilst locked in this battle. Vegeta was infuriated. With another burst or power, he flew up and attacked his opponent, unleashing flurries of attacks at him. These swift, powerful punches and kicks however were all blocked, the Prince finishing with a left jab. The Blind Bandit leapt back to avoid then quickly shot forward with a right knee, knocking his opponent back. With his aura still flaming wildly, Vegeta back flipped through the air before resetting his stance. He then came in with a quick left roundhouse kick at his target hovering below him, the Blind Bandit flashing into super speed before the attack could hit. The Saiyan Prince fumbled forward and then glared up, resuming his stance.

In a split flash, the Blind Bandit appeared above him and came in with a right roundhouse kick, the blow hitting Vegeta's defense. The Saiyan Prince has raised both his hands to catch the kick, the Super Saiyan pressed back by the forces placed upon him. With his teeth gritted, the Prince pushed him forward, his opponent suddenly vanishing in a whisk of smoke. Vegeta glared up, having lost sight of his target now. But then, in a blink of an eye, his opponent shot down from the sky behind him and drove a right side kick into his back. Vegeta let out a yell of pain and shock as his aura disappeared and _he_ was sent plummeting straight back down for the ring, the Blind Bandit watching him fall. Seconds later, just before impact with the ring, Vegeta spun around and halted himself, stopping just two meters above the tile surface. Dust hurled into the air as he pushed his energy under him, his aura exploding around him again. With a resolve renewed, the Saiyan Prince punched it and shot straight up towards his opponent flying 30 stories above him. However, instead of attacking him, Vegeta averted course and shot straight up into the sky, bringing both hands in front of him. As he flew ever higher, a golden ball of energy appeared between his hands, shining brightly and illuminating the whole stadium. With a yell, Vegeta brought the attack over him and then threw it straight down at his target. In a flash of light, the attack exploded and an atomic like explosion lit up the skies over the stadium stands. People screamed in terror at the explosion, the Z-fighters awed by the fiery sight. Seconds later, smoke took the place of the explosion, Vegeta glaring down at it with a smirk on his face.

Suddenly, when it seemed that the attack had worked, the Blind Bandit appeared behind Vegeta. The Prince sensed something behind him and glanced over his shoulder, gasping in shock when he saw his opponent floating right there. In a quick move, the Blind Bandit brought his right fist back and sent it straight at Vegeta's face, sending him plummeting towards the ring below. The Prince yelled out loud as he tumbled through the air out of control, crashing to the ground a few seconds later. A cloud of dust shot into the air like a mine exploding in water, debris flying everywhere upon Vegeta's impact with the ground. The Blind Bandit floated in the same place glaring straight down. The cloud of smoke from the previous attack launched had dissipated, with the cloud of dust soon to follow. There, lying imprinted on the ground was a battered, Super Saiyan Vegeta lying face down and in a semi-conscious state. When the dust fully cleared, the Prince balled his hands and pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. With a bit more effort, he then staggered to his feet, his body all numb. Gritting his teeth, the Saiyan Prince then glared over his shoulder up into the skies, trembling slightly from the pains he felt. There, he saw his opponent still floating above him…just…floating…

"Darn it!" he growled. "Either I've gotten soft, or this guy is really strong!"

Right after he said those words, the Blind Bandit suddenly powered up as well, a white aura exploding around him before he charged. The blind warrior charged, shocking Vegeta as he turned around. Careering through the air straight down, the disguised Saiyan brought his right fist back, concentrating energy into it. There was a flash, as blue beams of light began shooting out of the spaces between his fingers, catching Vegeta's eye. The warrior averted his course a bit, lowering to about 2 stories above the ring. Then with a push of effort, he shot up into the air a bit more before throwing his attack forward. What was thought as a blast, turned out to be a scattered throw of blue, energy shards. The shattered attack rained down on Vegeta, shocking the Saiyan Prince who was staring with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. As the shrapnel rain landed all around him, a series of fiery explosions took place. Orange and yellow fire light exploded into balls before taking shape into flames, the various small explosions erupting as one and consuming its target in a fiery hell. The crowds were shocked, whereas the Z-fighters were shocked.

"Vegeta! No!" Bulma cried.

"What in the world is that attack!" Ren shouted as well. Chi-Chi and Yamcha were silenced.

"There's no way Vegeta can survive that!" Krillin shouted. "Even if he is a Super Saiyan…"

"At point blank range, a blast with that much ferocity can't possibly be avoided in time!" 18# stated, also looking shot. Goku blinked, staring with disbelief out onto the ring that had lit up with that wild fire.

"But…no one can use an attack like that…only…" Goku gasped, eyes widening more at the realization of what he was saying and seeing. The others also came to this realization. All of this looked so familiar. Their memories may be a bit blurred, but they had a distinct feeling they knew who they were thinking about…

The napalm like explosion died out, a figure suddenly bursting out of it all charred, burnt and bruised. The battered Saiyan Prince landed outside of the blazing radius of fire, landing in a fighting stance and glaring furiously at the fire. Even though his body ached all over, he could still fight. Then, as the fires before him died down, the Blind Bandit made his attack. Flying through the fires and rising smoke, the young Saiyan charged at his opponent, Vegeta gasping and changing tactics on instinct. Throwing his left hand forward, the Saiyan Prince fired off a golden ki blast at his target. It ripped through the air at break neck speeds, on route to hitting its target. His opponent suddenly blurred out, the blast hitting nothing at first before landing on the ring and exploding. Vegeta growled and threw his right hand forward, firing off another blast, then another with his left, and another with his right. The barrage of charged attacks flew at their target still hurling through the air at the source. Seeing these attacks, the Blind Bandit raised his right hand forward and produced a blue shield, the blasts exploding against it with little effect. Heck, it didn't even slow him down. When all five blasts fired were dealt with, the cloaked warrior flew on, shield still up. Vegeta was bewildered. Slowing down when he appeared in front of his opponent, the shielded Saiyan pulled his right fist back and threw it across the Saiyan Prince's face with a display of flying dust and power. Gohan's attack went straight through to its target, hitting Vegeta with full force. The flame haired Saiyan was sent flying across the rest of the ring, the Blind Bandit flashing into super speed the moment his target was sent flying.

Just as Vegeta was nearly about to be sent out of the ring, the Blind Bandit appeared behind him, back turned to the Prince flying straight at him. Then, in one swift movement, the warrior spun around and through his left knee straight into Vegeta's back. The Super Saiyan let out a cry of agony upon getting struck his flight ceasing indefinitely. After which, Gohan then sent a right, roundhouse kick across the Saiyan Prince's back, Vegeta sent flying across the ring once more. Still conscious enough to realize where he was going, the flame haired Saiyan growled and spun around, landing and skidding to a stop. When he did, he dropped into a horse riding stance, eyes glaring across the ring towards his opponent. The Blind Bandit landed on the edge, walking forward for several meters before stopping, standing regularly as always. Vegeta was fuming.

"Alright! I've had it!" Vegeta shouted. Leaping into the air, the Super Saiyan suspended himself 5 meters above the ring where he once stood, fists still balled tightly at his sides tightly. The moment Vegeta began to float, his aura exploded around him and the flame haired Saiyan threw both his arms and legs out, expression scrunching with anger and concentration. In a flash of golden light, two balls of electrical energy appeared in his hands sizzling and growing in size as he pushed every bit of ki he could into them. Then, with another growl of effort, he brought both hands together and cupped them, the two balls of energy combining together to form a bigger one. This one ball sizzled with pure golden electricity, crackling outwards with resounding thunder. As a result, his aura grew fiercer and more violent, ripping up the ground beneath him. The crowds were shocked, whilst the Z-fighters were worried. It was then they realized what technique he was planning to use and Goku stepped forward.

"Vegeta! Don't do it!" the spiky haired Saiyan shouted. Vegeta growled, energy still crackling violently. He didn't hear what Goku had shouted to him. The only thing he was fully focused on was his target. The Blind Bandit continued to stand where he was, glaring across at him with that basic stance. The infuriated Saiyan Prince let out a roar, his energy still growing.

"Now you're finished!" he yelled. "FINAL…FLLLAAAAAAASSSSSSSHHHHH!!!!" Vegeta ended, the energy in his palms crackling even more. Then, at the end of that yell, there was an explosion of force when suddenly, a massive golden blast of energy shot out of the Prince's hands and hurled straight at its target. The powerful attack ripped through the air, shaking the skies and ground beneath them. People were horrified at the sight and cried out in fear, whilst the Z-fighters gaped in shock. Was he really that desperate to win?

Then, just as the attack was right on top of the Blind Bandit, the young Saiyan made a startling move. With currents of golden electricity running up and down his form, Gohan raised his left hand towards the blast and, with a grunt, fired off a blast of electrical energy at Vegeta's _Final Flash._ The charged attack struck the spearhead of the blast, surrounding it and reducing its forward effectiveness to nothing. A split second later, the entire attack was turned into a floating blob of energy right before everybody's eyes. Vegeta was in total shock, everyone silent and gazing in complete bewilderment. It was just then the young Saiyan decided to end this. With a burst of power, the masked warrior floated up to Vegeta's attack and sent a left roundhouse kick at it, sending it back at the owner. Too shocked to do anything, the Saiyan Prince watched his own attack land directly in front of him and explode with astounding force. The very blast sent him hurling out of the ring, yelling out in agony as the fires burned at him. The explosion went up only for five seconds, before turning into smoke and leaving a crater imprinted in the centre of the ring as the final of this fight. When the explosion did die out, it was soon revealed who the victor here was, with Vegeta lying flat on his back on the grassy area outside of the ring.

The Blind Bandit lowered himself to the ground, smiling underneath his mask. Vegeta was beat, the flame haired Saiyan now averted back to normal form. It was then, after the shock had dropped from the crowds did everyone light up in a series of applause and cheers. The commentator was thrilled. Stepping forward with his mike held firmly in his grip, he made his announcement.

"_**Ladies and gentlemen, it is over! After a grueling fight of colossal proportions, the winner is, the Blind Bandit!!!"**_

****

* * *

_**Moments later…**_

Gohan marched back into the waiting room, closely followed by a very bruised and beaten up Vegeta. The young Saiyan had taken his time helping the older Saiyan to his feet, but was rubbed off because of the Prince's rudeness. The teen didn't mind, he was just glad to have had that fight with Vegeta. He was also surprised how much stronger the flame haired Saiyan had become, and thanked him for an amazing match.

Anyway, when Gohan returned to the waiting room, he fell under the eyes of all the Z-fighters there except Piccolo. Goku, Krillin and 18# gave him very suspicious looks, while also being cautious not to fall under his gaze. The Blind Bandit had no inclination of getting on their bad sides however, and just walked past them. Vegeta trudged in a second later, using the frames of the entry way for support. Gritting his teeth, he glared after the fighter who had beaten him and growled.

"Gah!" he spat. "There are some things a Saiyan can't do…like beat that baka!" The Prince fumed. He stepped in, accidentally tripping under his own exhaustion. He was helped up by Goku, who gave him a pat on the back before looking up, staring after the Blind Bandit who went to lean up against a support pillar. The warrior stood there, keeping quiet and resting up for his next fight.

"I'm not sure he's really unbeatable, Vegeta," Goku exclaimed. "Sure, he's really good, but every fighter has his limit…"

"Yeah," Krillin spoke up, placing his hands on his hips. "And I don't think he's really such a bad guy either. I mean, he helped you up didn't he?" Vegeta scowled at him, while 18# just giggled in the background. She couldn't help it. The dirty look Vegeta gave her husband was just priceless. Goku just laughed, while Krillin backed away, cowering under the glare the Saiyan Prince was giving him.

While the Blind Bandit stood by the pillar, he was soon approached by Piccolo. The Namekian came up to him, arms crossed and looking all serious, whilst Gohan remained silent, calm and collected. When the green warrior reached him, he opened up with his usual death glare that would even make statues kneel and beg for forgiveness, and from here began that unnerving silence. Seconds later, Piccolo smiled and nodded to him.

"You sure have gotten stronger kid," the Namekian exclaimed. "And you didn't even go Super Saiyan to beat Vegeta. That means you've gotten stronger then Cell at his utmost perfect…" Gohan chuckled, glancing up at his master.

"In my normal form, I practically rival Cell when he's at full, 100 percent strength…but not 110 percent," the young Saiyan stated, his tone more serious then usual. "I've got a bit more training to do to get to his level…and a bit more to master my full potential…" Piccolo nodded his head in understanding. What Gohan said made a lot of sense, especially the last part. Years ago, he remembered catching only a small dose of the child's power when he fought Radditz, and later disintegrated that mountain. There was a lot the young Saiyan could show them.

"Well, you let me know when you get to that level, alright…" Piccolo said. Gohan nodded with a smirk.

"Sure…" The Namekian nodded back and, with a wave, marched back to join the others. They would assume the green warrior was giving him a piece of their mind, which must be harsh. Gohan chuckled, going back to dozing on the spot. But before he could hit the hay, he was approached by Yumi and Leon. The two fighters came up to stand by him, looking at the cloaked warrior with curiosity. As the commentator's voice called up for the next two fighters, the three unknowns hung out in the back, just…standing…

Gohan, sensing the two other standing beside him, sighed and glanced over towards Goku and the others. Making sure they had their attention squarely fixed on the ring, he turned back to Leon and Yumi, lowering his hood and mask. At this, both boyfriend and girlfriend backed away and bowed to him. Now fully unmasked, the young warrior smiled at the two of them and bowed back. Then, they all straightened together, with Gohan speaking up first.

"I figured it was you two…" the young Saiyan exclaimed. "What're you doing here?"

Yumi smiled at him, tilting her head to the side and giving him a cute, kitty-cat like look. "Well, we knew that a man called the _Blind Bandit_ had challenged four champions at the Four Chambers of Commerce Tournament, and when we showed up in the crowds to watch, we easily recognized him as you in disguise…" Leon nodded affirmatively, also giving a smile.

"Who else would tackle on four world champions and live? Certainly not Hercule…" the white haired warrior replied, folding his arms over his chest. Yumi smiled and continued on, placing her hands on her hips.

"We were bored, so we decided to go and watch. Afterwards we followed you here to the World Tournament, where we decided to participate just for the fun of it. Other then that, we missed you, Echo!" Yumi exclaimed happily. Leon chuckled and shrugged at him.

"_She_ did anyway…" Gohan nodded, smiling.

"Well, those are the breaks huh?" he replied. "I never expected you two to be here and Yumi…" the young Saiyan said, turning to the black haired girl, "Please call me Gohan. While in the Spirit World, I go by my other standing name, but in _this_ world it's Gohan, as I inherit this body in the physical plain beyond the other…"

Yumi nodded. "Okay Ec…I mean…Gohan!" The young Saiyan held a finger to his mouth and shushed her.

"Shhh…could you keep it down," Gohan hissed. "I don't want my friends to know that I'm here!" he continued, glancing over his shoulder to check whether they're listening. Thankfully, they weren't, so he was safe…for now. Both Leon and Yumi nodded, this time keeping their voices at a low.

"Yes Master Gohan…" they replied. Gohan nodded to them with a smile.

"It's great to see you two again. But hey," Gohan exclaimed. "How are things back in the Spirit World? Are the others doing alright?" Leon and Yumi smiled at each other, both nodding affirmatively to him.

"They're doing great, Master Gohan. Tora and Seth are also doing great," Yumi exclaimed happily. Leon nodded in agreement, crossing his arms.

"Everything is going on as you have instructed…" Leon stated. Gohan nodded, and then he glanced over his shoulder again at his friends. He could hear the fight between Goku and 18# going on outside. It sounded pretty big. The crowds were going wild, their echoing cheers and shouts evident to this. With a sigh, Gohan turned back to Yumi and Leon, seeing them still staring at him.

"Well, it's good to hear everyone's doing well," the young Saiyan said, glancing over at Leon. "And what about you, did you bring the designs I asked 3 months ago?" Leon chuckled and drew from his pocket a small package. About the size of a stone, it was something wrapped in paper and tied by string. Gohan grabbed the thing from his hand and opened it up. When he did, he saw a large, pure crystal sapphire inside with the designs of clothes he had drawn up not long ago. Leon nodded while putting his hands in his pockets.

"Sorry for the late delivery. I had to find the right quarts in order for you to make your clothes more durable…" Leon exclaimed, gesturing towards the sapphire and the design drawing. "It's a good choice too…better then my designs…"

The young Saiyan nodded, smiling up at the fighter while tightening his grip around the rock. It was then, closing his eyes, the young Saiyan concentrated his energy into a tolerable mass. After which, he brought it in then released it, his entire body flashing instantaneously for a moment before sights became clear again. Leon and Yumi stared in awe as the young Saiyan emerged from the light, enveloped in a totally new outfit. Sure he wore the same pants and boots that were apart of his design, but now he also wore a black turtle neck and the red sash tied firmly around him. His cloak had changed into a trench coat with, instead of a zip or buttons, had straps fastening it down. He had no right sleeve, but he did have a left sleeve longer then the right with a pauldron tied to his shoulder. To compensate for the right side's lack of covering, he now wore a black glove. And to complete his outfit, he still wore his crystal pendant, and on his right collar, was the sapphire from his hand. Upon the completion of his outfit, Gohan sighed and looked down at himself, spinning around once before balling his fists. He smiled and turned to the other two standing in front of him.

"So…how do I look?" he asked. Leon and Yumi looked him over a couple of times, with the white haired fighter commenting on it first.

"Looks great…" Yumi grinned and walked around him, taking in every inch of his outfit. Gohan followed her with his eyes, seeing her nod her head and whistle, obviously impressed.

"Yummy," the girl exclaimed, stopping in front of Leon and giving Gohan the mischievous. "Girls will definitely dig this…unless you don't plan on using coverings to hide that handsome face of yours…" The young Saiyan chuckled, reaching into his pocket and drawing out a red roll of fabricated material.

"Sorry to disappoint them…" Gohan exclaimed, wrapping the fabric over his mouth and nose and tying it up behind him. He cracked his neck and turned to them, eyes still shown and hair waving freely now. "But it's necessary for my big finish." He then gave them both the thumbs up. "It was great seeing you two. Thanks…"

Leon saluted to him. "Don't mention it…" Yumi waved to him.

"We'll see you again soon, Master Gohan!" she exclaimed. The young Saiyan chuckled and gave them a wave before turning on his heel and heading towards the entrance, boots clicking. Just as he had turned around, both Yumi and Leon vanished into thin air, blue sparkly specks separating and disappearing through the back way and out of the tournament. Gohan didn't need to see them off, seeing as that they were all related.

Just then, the crowds gave off a wild burst of cheers, signaling only one thing. Just then, the commentator got on the horn, shouting out to the world at what had happened.

"_**Ladies and gentlemen, there you have it! After an amazing fight, it seems that former champion Goku has made it on to the finals!"**_

Gohan stopped behind the entrance, coming to stand by Piccolo. A smile donned his features underneath his mask. That's exactly what he expected, and the very thing he was expecting to come of this round…

"_This is going to be great…"_

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_

****

* * *

_**Quarter Finals):**_

**(Round 1):**

Videl: 287

Gohan (Blind Bandit-Base Suppressed): 15,000,000

Gohan (Blind Bandit-Base Full Power): 120,000,000

**(Round 2):**

Vegeta: 75,000,000

Jewel: 109

**(Round 3):**

Goku: 80,000,000

Krillin: 3,000,000

**(Round 4):**

18#: 30,000,000

Yumi Lee: 8,500

* * *

_**(Semi-Finals):**_

Vegeta: 75,000,000

Vegeta (Super Saiyan): 150,000,000

Gohan (Blind Bandit-Base Suppressed): 15,000,000

Gohan (Blind Bandit-Base Full Power): 120,000,000

Gohan (Blind Bandit-Unlocked Potential): 180,000,000


	43. Victory has its Rewards

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Victory has its Rewards_

_**Final Round…**_

The crowds were all a buzz with excitement. Under the heavens, this tournament has played on, with the sure signs of an ending to this event fast approaching. The rounds that have passed have been very eventful indeed, with all fighters showing their true colors and strengths. But now it has been narrowed down to this. The finals were upon everyone, with only two fighters making it this far. There was no going back now as every match has been decided. As the rules stated in this situation, there can only be one winner. This tournament has brought out the best, and certainly will in the end…

The best of the best has yet to be decided…

Now was the time to end the tournament with the final round. Goku and the Blind Bandit had taken to the ring, dressed in their symbolic colors. The crowds were particularly wowed by Gohan's new choice of clothes. This black, darkened look with the cool trench coat was a lot better to look at then that cloak he once wore. The outfit also appeared looser. Goku, as well as the other Z-fighters were also curious about his outfit change, as it was more revealing. However, this was beside the whole fight deal. Even though they had all taken his new outfit into consideration, there was still the tournament's final event needing to be had. With the crowds cheering wildly and the Z-fighters watching anxiously, the commentator was able to continue his job.

"_**Ladies and gentlemen, this is it! The moment you've all been waiting for!"**_ he shouted. _**"…the final round of the World Martial Arts Tournament. By golly it's been an exciting day, and it's all come down to this! Who will emerge as the Strongest under the Heavens this year!? The Legendary Goku, or the illustrious Blind Bandit!"**_ the tournament official shouted. The crowds erupted into a shrill of chants, some rooting for Goku, the others for the Blind Bandit. It was at this calling the announcer chuckled and fixed his shades. With a wide grin, he raised his hand and clenched it into a fist. _**"Well, that's about to be decided folks! FIGHTERS! YOU MAY BEGIN!!!"**_

The crowds let out another loud cheer, and at the sound of the gong, the final match was underway. Goku glared down his opponent, the Blind Bandit returning his glare with just your basic stare. It was quite hard to tell what his expression was like under that mask, however, it was clear Gohan was trying to look friendly. But out here on the ring, everything was beyond friendly. Goku furrowed his brow and dropped into a stance, his feet spread evenly and balanced. From here, he took his opponent's attitude to this fight in fully. The bandit was taking the same approach as he had done with Vegeta, standing still and doing nothing, not even bothering to assume a fighting stance. Right now, learning from past opponents, Goku was not taking the same chances everyone else took. No, he was going to wait for the opposite to happen.

"Hey…I'm only going to give you one warning!" Goku called over to him. "Take a stance this time! I'm not like your other opponents! I'm not one to get by that easily!" The Blind Bandit chuckled, nodding to him.

"I know you're not…" he replied. Goku thought nothing of this, even though it was the first thing either had said whilst standing on this ring. So, the spiky haired Saiyan maintained his stance, eyes fixated on the young warrior, unmoved.

Just then, under the eyes of hundreds, one of them made the first, daring move. Surprisingly, it was the Blind Bandit. Sprinting forward, the young warrior prepared to charge, only to flash into super speed right before Goku's eyes. The Saiyan gasped, wide eyed. He averted his gaze skywards, where he saw the blind warrior appear right there above him, charging at him full speed. Caught completely off guard, Goku brought up his arms in defense, his stance changing to fit this. Gohan punched it, accelerating as he charged straight down at his father, energy level rising dramatically. Bringing his left arm back, the warrior threw it forward just as he reached the older Saiyan, both arms clashing with a bang. A shockwave occurred, followed by an explosion of force that punched a massive crater into the ring right beneath Goku's feet. The very appearance of the crater sent rubble, dust and debris flying into the air, forming a dome over and around them. The Saiyan was forced back, using all his strength to hold his position and grapple against his opponent. Teeth gritted, he attempted to fight back his opponent who continued to drive forward. Well, there's a hefty staring contest.

It was a few seconds later after a moment of grappling, Goku attacked. Just as they were set in their present positions, the Saiyan punched at with his left fist, hooking at the warrior in front of him. Gohan zapped into super speed, the Saiyan's fist hitting nothing but air. Growling, Goku leapt off of the ground and pursued, immediately shooting off into super speed, the moment he had leapt off the ground. Five more seconds past and nothing happened, until shock waves began ringing out across the ring and through the air. These explosions of force shook everything around them for miles, the people letting out cries of surprise when they began to feel and hear these phenomenal bursts of strength. All eyes began searching the air spaces in front of them for any signs of the two fighters, but all they could see were invisible explosions of force and two blurs shooting around, chasing each other. The Z-fighters were astounded. Though Goku had put off training for many months, he was still as strong as ever. The Blind Bandit was also strong, but was clearly not showing his true powers now.

Appearing 50 stories above the ground, the super powered warriors were seen locked in a fast, incredible battle above the heads of the audience. Their fists clashed in an amazing show of force, everyone gawking at the very sight. Though they have seen a lot of flying and action, this one certainly took the cake. Goku yelled as he furiously drove flurries of punches and kicks at his opponent at a lightning fast rate, trying to force his opponent back at least. But no matter what attack he tried and attempted, the Blind Bandit was just too fast for him. He blocked every blow he sent at him, just testing his strength and focus in this fight. Well, Goku wasn't going to let up now. After unleashing that burst of fast attacks, Goku pushed away, while the Blind Bandit remained hovering where he was. The Son father charged up a bit, resting for those few milliseconds before charging at his opponent again, pulling his right fist back and sending it at him in a powered up punch. Gohan leapt back, avoiding it. He then stopped in mid-flight and watched as Goku charged again, sending a jab at him. Gohan blocked it, and then the right hook sent at him. He then proceeded to easily block a left elbow, a right punch, a left knee, a right roundhouse kick, a backwards, followed up left roundhouse kick, a right side kick, and then a left jab. The assault was stopped altogether, with Gohan holding onto Goku's fist.

Just then, Goku tried to fight his way out of this lock and sent a overdone, right punch. Gohan released his left fist and parried the right arm, pulling Goku forward while spinning into the Saiyan's vulnerable zone. When he did, the Blind Bandit rammed his left elbow into Goku's stomach, winding him badly. The young Saiyan then quickly moved out and around Goku, moving to the older Saiyan's left and coming over him, sending a right elbow into his father's back. The blow staggered Goku forward but he stopped when Gohan sent his left knee into his stomach. Everything seemed to freeze there with Gohan staring down at his wounded father. It was after receiving a trembling shudder in return Gohan removed his knee from his dad's stomach and brought both his hands up. Quickly lacing them together, he brought it down in a powerful jackhammer blow. Hitting Goku in the back, Gohan sent his father plummeting at comet like speeds. Within seconds, the spiky haired Saiyan was within ground floor range, but just so the impact wasn't as bad as it would be, the Saiyan managed to pull out of the out of control state and land on his hands and knees. Crashing to the ground and still making the earth shake, Goku glared up with gritted teeth, senses extending for his opponent. It was at that moment, the older Saiyan jumped into super speed, blurring out from the spot he was on just as Gohan came down with a kick, foot striking the ground Goku once knelt. Without wasting another second, the Blind Bandit flashed out of focus as well, moving into pursuit.

Across the ring, the two fighters chased each other, more shock waves ringing out one after another. It was just then Goku appeared at the very edge of the large crater punched into the centre of the ring, dropping forward into a stance, while glaring over his shoulder. Just then, he felt a blow strike his chin and he was knocked flying into the air. As he was falling back to the ground, Gohan reappeared, flashing into focus doing a flip. He landed a second later, spinning around and sprinting after his falling opponent. Goku managed to correct his situation, landing on his hands and pushing off, barely avoiding a sweep kick. Moments later, the older Saiyan landed on the other side of the crater, with Gohan leaping back after standing up again. The Blind bandit held his position at his side of the crater, both combatants glaring at each other. With Goku slightly bruised and Gohan just standing perfectly calm without any damage whatsoever, the two of them went into a staring contest whilst under the watchful eyes of the crowds all around them.

The Z-fighters were awe struck, as well as two very familiar chibis watching in the background. Stationed on the walkways of the stands, Goten and Trunks gazed in shock down on the ring, eyes wide and mouths gaping wide.

"Whoa! Goten!" Trunks shouted. "Did you see that fight there?!"

"Yeah…wow!" Goten replied, gulping and eyes wavering. "I never knew my dad could be so tough…"

"And what's the deal with the other guy?" Trunks asked. "I've never seen him before. How can he fight your dad like that?"

"I…I don't know…"

Goku trembles a bit as he glared across at his opponent, unable to believe how much energy he felt radiating off of him. Having felt the brunt of his strength already, the Saiyan knew he had no chance in this state. Furrowing his brow, the Saiyan reassured his thoughts, wondering if it was the best time to bring out his true power now. _"I…there's no other way! I have to transform if I have any chance of beating him! Well…here goes…"_ Suddenly, in a flash of blinding light, the Saiyan powered up. Balling his fists, Goku let out a shrill cry of anger and pain as his golden aura exploded around him. In a whirling wind of ferocity and an outstanding display of flashes, the Saiyan transformed, his hair spiking up, standing on end and flashing gold, at the same time his eyes turned teal, hovering in his sockets. A galling wind went up, stretching to about the radius of the ring before it subsided, leaving him standing in a pure, powered up state. The now Super Saiyan Goku glared seriously across the ring at his opponent before pushing off and sending himself into a charge.

With a yell, Goku flew at the Blind Bandit, who dropped into a stance and awaited his opponent's arrival. Just then, in a split second, the Super Saiyan landed his first effective blow on his opponent, a powerful right roundhouse kick swiping across the masked warrior's cheek. The blow staggered him to the side, sounding a shock wave at the force applied to it. Though the blow knocked Gohan's hinges off, he was still in this fight. Growling, he too sent a kick up at Goku, striking him in the side with a left roundhouse kick, by which he initiated by throwing himself backwards into the air. The blow struck Goku and staggered him in a similar fashion. Just as the two fighters' were falling, they both zapped into super speed and took their fight to a new level. Shock waves began exploding all across the ring, cracking the ground with outstanding tremors and explosions of force. These out of this world forces punched dents all across the arena's surface, both fighters moving from left to right, and up and down. Goku pursued his opponent first, flashing through the air and attacking relentlessly. It was after suffering a counter blow did sides change, and it was the Blind Bandit now pursuing him. They flashed from left to right, seen as mere blurs shooting across the ring, with the tell tale signs of clouds of dust bursting in the air everywhere every one millisecond that past. It was a continuous display of power, unseen by most as the fight was too fast for a lot of people to see. Just like at the Cell Games, things were really moving at a flying pace.

Appearing in the air, flying up, Goku brought his left hand back then threw it forward. With a yell, he unleashed a golden blast of energy, which streaked through the air with increased speeds. As the blast flew down to the ring, Gohan blurred into focus beside it, flashing in and out of super speed as he charged at his opponent. As the blast Goku fired exploded on the ground, the Blind bandit appeared in front of his opponent, hammering him with a right hook. Goku staggered back, but then flashed into super speed while pursued in kind by the blind warrior. Seconds later, as the fight carried on with more shockwaves making themselves known, a golden shower of energy blasts suddenly came raining down onto the ring, Goku's yells filling the air. It was at the targeting end of the blasts the Blind Bandit appeared, flashing in and out of focus at a low altitude close to the ring where the blasts were coming down on. He avoided every one of them as he flew up at his opponent, teeth gritted and eyes flaring. Goku reappeared after firing off the blast of his barrage, skimming through the air and bringing his right hand back. Then, with a loud yell and a tremendous burst of power, he threw his right hand forward, unleashing a powerful, blue blast: a one-handed _Kamehameha Wave_ or _Enraged Kamehameha._ Gohan saw it coming at him, easily retaliating by throwing his left hand forward and producing a blue energy shield. The blast made contact, digging in for a moment before exploding, enveloping Gohan in a cloud of smoke.

It was after the colossal explosion had occurred did Gohan retaliate, sending three highly concentrated golden blasts of his own straight back up at Goku. The Super Saiyan charged down at the cloud, easily avoiding the first two but stopping on the last one, as it was too close to be avoided. With a yell, the older Saiyan threw both his hands forward and fired a blast of his own at it. Both attacks collided, exploding on impact and clouding view of both fighters once more. The skies lit up in a shower of golden sparks of burning energy and the scent of fire. Just then, out of the cloud produced by the Kamehameha explosion, the Blind Bandit dropped into view, landing on the ring and skipping back fast. As he flew backwards across the ring, he glared up, expecting to see his opponent coming up on him. It was just then he suddenly flashed into super speed, leaving an afterimage flying backwards. Seconds later, 10 meters behind him, Goku appeared, punching out at what he thought was his opponent but turned out to be the after image. Gasping in shock, the Super Saiyan spun around, tracking the route of his opponent. Right there and then, Gohan appeared above him, spinning hard and fast as he fell down towards the still bewildered Saiyan. The blind warrior struck Goku hard in the back of the head with a powerful drop kick, the blow staggering him forward with a yell of agony. In retaliation, after he had regained his composure, the Super Saiyan, glared up and sent a back hammer strike with his left hand up at his opponent, who suddenly flashed into super speed before his blow could land.

Standing up properly and correcting his stance, Goku glared ahead of him, bringing his left hand back before throwing it forward, unleashing a powerful, golden ki blast straight across the ring. It ripped through the air, soaring towards a certain point. It was in the air space Goku was aiming for the Blind Bandit appeared, dropped into a stance. Spotting the blast, the young warrior quickly acted, slamming his right foot into the ground. With this earth shaking move, a ball or chunk of concrete in front of him leapt into the air and hovered at chest height. At the right moment, Gohan sent a left side kick at the ball, sending it hurling at Goku's blast where it struck with equal force. The result was the blast exploding, lighting up in a gigantic fire ball that punched yet another hole into the ring. Everyone was shocked that such a maneuver would work, but the fight wasn't over. It was just then, as the explosion of fire was taking place, Goku shot through the fire, aura flaring wildly as he hurled at his opponent. The Blind Bandit saw the older Saiyan approaching, and quickly acted. He slid his right foot along the ground before leaping forward, skidding to a stop and bringing his right hand out and following it through forward in a bowling arm motion. Just then, right beneath Goku, a hill of green crystals shot out, striking him clean on in the stomach, stopping him right there. Letting out a retched yell in agony, Goku was sent flying to the side as the pillar of crystals punched him. It was then after sending his opponent skyward Gohan retracted the rocks of crystals back into the ground using his elemental bending before taking off after his winded opponent. Super speeding up to Goku, the Blind Bandit appeared above him right hand cranked back. Powering up, a golden orb of energy formed around his fist and, as bolts of electricity shot out of it, the young Saiyan let out a yell and sent it straight into his father's back. Goku was hit full on, and with a scream of agony, was sent falling back.

Seconds later, the spiky haired Super Saiyan crashed into the ground, rubble, debris and a cloud of dust shooting into the air as if a meteor had crashed. It was with that Goku vanished from sight, leaving his opponent floating hovering many stories above the ring. Seeing his father vanish amongst the rubble and clouds, the warrior dropped from the skies, landing at the side of the ring where the waiting room was, back turned to the entrance and eyes plastered on the pillar of clouds shooting up into the air. It then whisked away in the form of a mist, a clear picture taking its place right before him. Suddenly, as the crowds stared in shock, the Z-fighters gawked and the young Saiyan waited, he suddenly felt a tremor, which slowly turned into an earthquake and soon into a violent, earthly climax. Seconds later, Gohan heard a pained cry of power as Goku's voice filled his ears and then, out of the crater formed by the Saiyan's landing, a golden aura exploded forth. Debris was sent everywhere in light of this sight, blue torrents of electricity shooting out of it as a shadowy figure rose from the ground. The crowds gaped in shock, so did the commentator, the Z-fighters and Gohan.

"_**Wow! Incredible folks!!!"**_ the announcer cried into his microphone. _**"After what appeared to be a knockout sky strike, Goku has suddenly emerged from his tomb blazing in a new light! Unbelievable!!!"**_ Hell yeah it was unbelievable. Gohan gazed with the utmost astonishment as he watched his father float out from the crater, suspended in his aura and flaring ahead of him. The brightness of the warping energy slowly died and shrunk down to a controlled state, revealing the spiky haired Saiyan in an all new form. Goku had transformed into a Super Saiyan 2.

Though his hair and appearance looked almost the same, there were a few subtle changes and some rather big changes. First off his eyes were no longer teal but turquoise, and his hair, once locked into several strands had now formed into a dozen strands with a single bang hanging in front of his forehead and two others on each side, spaced out from the centre. Second now was his physical being, which has buffed out a bit and had slightly paler skin. To finish it off, his aura was fiercer then before, consumed by bolts of blue electricity and his ki skyrocketing to a new height. It was an incredible sight, Gohan never figuring his father could reach that level. But then again, anything was possible for the Z-Team.

Goku glared hard, eyes flashing in the light of his aura. "It's over! Give it up!" he shouted.

The Blind Bandit chuckled. "I'm not about to throw away an opportunity like this to test your strength, Goku!" Gohan yelled back. "I may not be a match for you now, but watch this! I haven't used this for a while, but I'm sure the transformation process is as fierce this time as it was the first time! It's easy…yet harsh!"

Goku raised an eyebrow at him, the crowds still staring with curiosity. Just then, in a flash of blinding light, a golden aura exploded around the Blind Bandit, enveloping him in a fiery effect far greater then Goku's aura. Then, as it burst out around him, it expanded and intensified, tearing up the ground as he balled his fists and began concentrating the energy. In that split instant, his hair flashed gold and his eyes turned teal. A shockwave coursed over the ring and through the stadium, followed by a gust of fierce wind that nearly knocked the Z-fighters off there feet. Goku was hell astounded, staring at his opponent in shock. Seconds later, as the winds died down, the Blind Bandit was revealed, standing in his blazing aura that continued to tear up the ground and the air around him. His clothes waved fiercely in the winds, just like his hair. When he looked up, you saw the red material once covering his face rip and burn in the aura, revealing a grin underneath that mask. Goku raised an eyebrow, shocked enough as it was.

"_I've seen that face before…but where?"_

Piccolo smirked; staring onto the ring at the two high powered Super Saiyan's. _"With Gohan's constant changing over the years, it's hard for even Goku to recognize him. To him he's just another Saiyan…"_

Gohan, finally able to bask in the glory of being able to transform in so many months, sighed and crossed his arms. His eyes never left his opponent, both of them still exchanging stares. It was soon drawn to the Z-fighters' attention that the Blind Bandit wasn't just surrounded by a fierce aura matching the intensity of Goku's Super Saiyan 2 aura, but his body was also radiating a golden, radioactive glow, with his warping energy accompanied by bolts of golden lightning. It was an amazing sight, the sight of a fully powered, true Super Saiyan. Everyone stared in astonishment.

Goku gritted his teeth, his glare intensifying. "Who are you?! What are you?!" the Super Saiyan shouted. "Are you a Saiyan!!!?"

The unmasked Blind Bandit smirked, raising his right hand into the air above him. It was just then a formation of black clouds suddenly began to circle above him, the cyclone based directly above his raised hand. The sky darkened at this, everyone alerted to this strange phenomenon. The rushing winds ran with the storm clouds, the temperature dropping to a certain degree before golden bolts of lightning suddenly started to churn out of the whirling clouds. Gohan smirked, while Goku stared up at the cloud cover in shock. After studying the display of earthly energy warping around them, the Super Saiyan 2 furrowed his brow and glared down at his opponent, eyes flashing.

After a few more seconds of glaring, Gohan lowered his arm quickly and, with a burst of strength, charged at his opponent. Goku growled and powered up as well, hurling at his attacker in kind. Right there, smack bang right above the centre of the crater, the two warriors clashed elbows, a loud shockwave ringing out that sent currents of electricity shooting out in all directions. When the field of energy had dissipated, the two of them broke apart, a flash of lightning from above cracking through the skies like a whip. Goku back flipped and landed, easily skidding backwards along the ring's surface to a stop. His opponent, however, went through a different approach. Gohan back flipped through the air just as Goku had done only this time correcting his position 3 stories above the damaged ring. The moment the Blind Bandit had corrected his stance, he flashed into super speed, followed soon enough by Goku. Within moments, the real fight was on. Shockwaves rang out at machine gun rates throughout the skies above the ring, the strength in these gales of force punching smaller craters into the ring and terrifying the crowds. The Z-fighters found it difficult to keep track of both warriors, eyes whirling from left to right, tracing the air space hundreds of feet above ground.

The two fighters fought beyond the sights of the people because they were moving so fast. Their clashes of power were like the bolts of lightning that shot down from the cyclone above, masking them from view. It was this interference that limited sight of them. When they reappeared so suddenly after clashing in a battle for over two minutes, the two Saiyans struck out with the same elbow, colliding full on and unleashing a sheer force that ripped through the skies. Their auras flared wildly around them as they held their places, before the two of them zapped into super speed once more. More shockwaves coursed through the sky, both Saiyans continuing to attack each other no matter what! It was just then their fight soon came into full view.

Goku appeared on the ground, landing and cracking the tiles beneath his feet. As soon as he landed, he pulled both hands back and powered up his next attack, blue orbs of energy appearing in his palms. With a yell of effort, he threw them forward, unleashing an entire barrage of blasts into the skies. The attacks streaked through the air by the hundreds, illuminating the entire stadium with their light. Just then, appearing in the centre of the barrage, moving about to avoid the torrents of blasts, Gohan appeared. The Super Saiyan weaved about before cupping his hands forward and holding them in front of him. With a loud yell, he unleashed a barrage of blue blasts of his own, these attacks meeting Goku's head of and exploding, forming a cloud barrier between the two of them about 100 feet above the ring. Goku growled and lowered his arms, glaring up at the cloud of smoke. Just then, Gohan burst through the clouds, aura lowered and just flying at basic, fast speeds. Yelling at the top of his lungs, he threw his right hand forward and unleashed an invisible blast of energy down at his opponent. Goku was struck down by the shockwave, knocked backwards by the incredible force of the blast. Just then, the young Saiyan flashed in front of Goku, sending a left jab straight into his stomach. Goku reeled forward in shock, gasping out in agony as he was knocked skidding backwards. Gohan shot forward again just as Goku stopped, the Super Saiyan 2 warrior regaining his senses and sending a powerful punch at his approaching opponent. The young Saiyan disappeared right before his very eyes. Goku growled, also flashing into super speed just as Gohan appeared behind him, sending a right hook at him. Hitting nothing but air, the Super Saiyan warrior glared up with gritted teeth, staring after his opponent for a moment before chasing after him.

More shockwaves occurred as the two of them chased each other, Gohan driving on his assault and forcing Goku back through the air. While still pushing Goku up through the sky, the two fighters appeared, both of them locked in a powerful battle. The crowds watched as the Blind Bandit hammered a continuous assault into Goku's defenses, who tried retaliating as best he can. His opponent however had the upper hand in this fight as he got first wind. Just then, after Gohan pushed away from his father, he came back up with another punch, Goku chopping at his fist. Both attacks collided, unleashing a shockwave that shook the sky. They both then threw their right knees at each other, these two attacks colliding with equal force to their previous attacks. It was just then, the two of them flashed into super speed again. No shockwaves occurred after they did so, only two blurs that whizzed around through the skies at lightning fast speeds. They crisscrossed every now and then, both fighters attempting to hit each other. The crowds were once again flabbergasted, unable to believe what they were seeing…or not seeing.

Gohan appeared out of thin air above the ground, glaring up into the sky. Goku appeared right beside him, sending a right punch at him. Gohan flashed out of sight, appearing above Goku and striking out with a left roundhouse kick. Goku fazed out as well, the Super Saiyan 2 appearing beneath Gohan and striking out with a left hook. Gohan fazed out as well, appearing behind his opponent and striking out with a right elbow, only for Goku to disappear like before. His opponent reappeared above him, the Super Saiyan 2 Goku driving a jackhammer strike down at him. Gohan flashed out of sight as well, Goku hitting nothing but an after image. Both fighters quickly grew frustrated at this, and decided to bring up even more heat, increasing their strength and speed. At this new rate, more shockwaves and flashes of light began coursing throughout the skies, shaking the entire island at the show of force. The crowds were holding onto their seats to keep them from flying off whenever an earth shaking explosion rang out. Even the Z-fighters were staggered by this, Krillin clutching onto the frame of the entrance he stood by. The fight went on, chunk of concrete getting mashed off of the surface of the ring and in particular places on the stadium stands whenever the fight was taken too close. Goten and Trunks, who were standing on the walkway at the highest point, were knocked back when a particular shockwave went off way too close, taking out the huge chunk of walkway where they stood. They both let out yells in shock, falling back and onto the cracking stand.

More shockwaves came down on the people, followed by claps of thunder from high above. The earth's weather patterns responded to these two warriors in kind, kneeling before their very might. Just then, a golden bolt of lightning shot down towards the ring, striking it and punching a small crater into it. It was then realized that that bolt of lightning was actually the Blind Bandit, Gohan standing up from his kneeling position to full height, still radiating that golden glow as always. He glared off to his left, seeing his father appear hovering above the ring close to the edge. The Super Saiyan 2 let out a yell and threw his right hand forward, unleashing a barrage of golden ki blasts. These attacks shot across the ring at Gohan, who easily retaliated against this assault. Throwing his left hand forward, the young Saiyan charged up an attack, a blue energy ball forming in his palm. He then extended his fingers and unleashed the attack, shockwaves pulsing off of the energy ball as it shot at the energy blasts. The barrage Goku had sent his way was ripped by the pulsing shockwaves from the energy ball released, the blue orb continuing on towards Goku. The Super Saiyan 2 warrior disappeared, the attack instead striking the concrete surface of the ring and exploding. Goku reappeared 20 meters in front of it, landing before shooting into super speed again. Gohan gritted his teeth, sights turning to his right. In a burst of light, Goku appeared, pulling his left fist back and sending it at the Blind bandit. Gohan avoided it, both of them suddenly flashing into super speed again.

Another fight ensued them both, shockwaves exploding through the air above the ring and ripping up the ground. Debris, dust and rubble flew into the air, only to burst and disintegrate when they got too close to the field of fire. The ground shook all the more at the fury unleashed by both warriors. Seconds into this new fight, both Gohan and Goku appeared above the ring, hammering away at each other with powerful, lightning fast combinations and attacks. They poured it on, only to stop after two particular strikes knocked them rebounding back. Yelling out loud, both of them threw a right hook at each other, arms striking each other and turning into elbow strikes. They both pushed against each other, bolts of blue and golden electricity shooting around the. Seconds later, they both went into their furious assaults again, attacking each other with flurries of punches and kicks. They drifted through the air, locked in close quarter combat before breaking the brawl. Gohan kneed out at Goku, striking him clean in the face. Just then, Goku powered up, golden aura surrounded by electricity exploding around him with a burst of light. In that split second, he shot off across the ring towards the other side in a streaking bolt shot. Gohan powered up as well after watching him fly off, pursuing him in similar fashion. The two powered up Saiyans flew around, one chasing the other in the forms of golden streaks zapping through the air. They looked like shooting stars.

After a long, hard pursuit, Gohan eventually caught up to Goku, the Super Saiyan 2's energy wearing out on him. Guess even at this level it's a little too hard to handle. Growling through bared teeth, Goku spun around and engaged his opponent, aura still burning around him. With a yell, he brought his left hand forward and fired off three blasts at point blank range of his opponent. It response, Gohan once again produced that shield around him, the blasts exploding ineffectively against him before he rammed his right elbow across his father's face when he got to him. Goku spun backwards through the air from the blow, managing to stop and resume his fighting stance. Panting slightly, Goku gritted his teeth and cupped his hands at his sides, dropping into that familiar stance that caught Gohan's attention. The young Saiyan smirked and brought both his hands back, golden balls of energy forming in his palms. At the same time Goku powered up his attack.

"KAAAaaaaa…MEEEeeeee…HAAAaaaaa…huh?" At that moment, the Blind Bandit threw both hands forward and unleashed a barrage of highly concentrated golden energy balls at his opponent, these attacks flying through the air like blasts but bigger. Goku let out a yell of shock before being overwhelmed by the attack, each energy ball exploding upon hitting him and enveloping him in a cloud of fiery smoke. When the last ball of energy from the _Scattered Volley Shot_ struck Goku inside the cloud, the whole thing went up with atomic like force, filling the skies with a earth shaking explosion. Seconds later, Goku came out of the cloud, battered, bruised and brunt. Growling in anger, Goku assumed a fighting stance, glaring through to the other side of the cloud.

When the cloud dissipated, he got the shock of his life when he saw his opponent floating in front of him, hands and arms on fire. The crowds also gasped, seeing the Blind Bandit floating in mid-air, hands burning whilst the back of his arms and shoulder burned with them. Gohan was smirking, glaring across straight at his opponent who slowly backed away through the air at the sight of this. Just then, the young Saiyan spun his arms around in lightning fast movements, just like how he shadow sparred, practicing Wushu. With a loud yell, he threw his left hand forward, unleashing a blast of fire at his opponent. Goku gasped and leapt out of the way, the fire blast streaking past. Gohan performed more arm movements after relinquishing his hold on that blast. With another yell, he threw his right hand at the retreating Super Saiyan 2, firing off a lightning fast ball of fire at him. The meteorite like attack flew at Goku, who looked up just in time to see it close in on him. It struck him clean in the back, the Saiyan letting out a cry of agony when it exploded, tearing up his gi and burning the skin underneath. He fell from the skies like a jet on fire, the crowds gaping in shock. Just then, after moving his arms about a few more times, Gohan brought both arms up, producing a massive ball of fire between his palms. With a yell, he threw it forward, pitching it at his falling target. The very ball of fire lit up the stadium, alerting everyone including Goku of the approaching threat.

The Saiyan gasped when he saw the attack flying at him and took control of his fall, landing rather weakly on the ground before leaping out of the way. The ball of fire struck the ring, exploding and punching a small crater into it. When it did, it dissipated, with sparks of fire flying everywhere. Wherever a spark landed, a good area around its landing point caught fire, burning brightly. Goku managed to leap away in time and land a good distance away from the burning areas, gritting his teeth and then glaring up. He got quite a start when he saw a blue blast of energy flying at him and quickly leapt out of the way. He retaliated by throwing his right arm up into the sky, unleashing a golden blast of his own. In flew through the air and exploded somewhere high above him, lighting the skies around just like the bolts of lightning the shot down from the clouds.

Goku glared up, looking around for his opponent. He couldn't find him; it was like he had just disappeared. But just then, as the explosion in the skies died and everything seemed to settle, the Super Saiyan 2 felt a shockwave underneath him and the earth shake. When he looked forward, he saw a split in the ring grow and shoot towards him, stopping right in front of him. In that split moment, his missing opponent shot out of the ground, left fist held back. With quick speed and strength, Gohan rammed his fist straight up into his father's face, knocking him back. As Goku flew backwards through the air, Gohan floated up a bit, turning his left side towards his staggered opponent. Just then, he threw his left hand forward and fired a cluster blast, 10 simultaneous blue blasts shooting out of his palm at the same time. They hooked all around before suddenly coming back towards their target. Goku gasped, back flipping and readying himself to meet this new attack. When he did, he leapt into the air, the blasts striking the ground instead and exploding with sheer force. It was understandable why Goku chose to avoid them, since they were practically too strong for him to deflect.

Stopping just 10 stories above the ring where the explosion took place and now a pillar of smoke rose from, he glared down at the ring towards his opponent. He saw the Blind Bandit glaring back up at him, both their auras dropped with the irregular wind rushing past them. Silence fell amongst them and the stadium, everyone staring with anticipation and in shock. Holding their breaths, they waited for either opponent to make the final, daring move.

Goku caught his breath, and with one last stare, lowered himself to the ring. Landing beside the various craters punched all around him on his side of the largest one punched into the centre of the arena, he glared down his opponent, who glared in kind. After a brief moment of staring, the two of them silently decided that there was only one way to end this. Making the first move, Goku powered up, his aura surrounded by blue electricity exploding around him! After which, he assumed his stance, cupping hands behind him and gritting his teeth tightly. Gohan did so too, dropping into a firm, balanced stance and bringing his right hand back. At the same time, his aura burst up around him, surrounded by golden bolts of electricity. It was then, at that very moment, balls of blue energy appeared in their said hands, one in Gohan's right hand, and another bright one between Goku's cupped palms. The high concentration of energy lit up the whole stadium as they glared each other down.

Then, it was time. Feeling it as the right moment, Goku began chanting the familiar words. "KAAAaaaaa…MEEEeeeee…!" During the time the Super Saiyan 2 used to chant these words, Gohan focused concentrating energy into his own attack. Both auras expanded fiercely around them, the show down opening up with a display of fiery lights and extraordinary power. Lightning shot around them, currents moving across the ring, threatening to strike anyone who got too close. The commentator kept his distance, whilst everybody stared.

"HAAAaaaaa…MEEEeeeee…!!!!!"

A bolt of lightning shot down from the skies and struck the centre of the large crater in the ring, flashing brightly as both combatants finished the charging of their attacks. With that split second moment, they both launched their attacks at each other finishing with a loud yell as their blasts were unleashed from their grasps.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" The two mighty attacks ripped through the air at one another, impacting in the centre of the ring and coming to a lethal stand off. Gales of winds shot out from the two blasts locking horns with one another, flaring wildly and sending pulses of shockwaves outwards. The crowds let out terrified cries at the sight, not really knowing what was happening. It was far too intense! Both Gohan and Goku gritted teeth as their attacks dug into one another, threatening to overwhelm and put an end to this entire thing, permanently. If they let this tug-of-war match go out of control they might as well destroy the entire stadium, taking everybody with them!

As the attacks pulsated and tried to over power the other, both Saiyans gave it their all whilst keeping it under a controlled state. The spear heads were blunted, and were unable to do much because at this moment, both fighters were standing on equal grounds. As the two attacks ripped a bigger crater beneath them, sending debris and dust flying everywhere, Goku now placed under stress sent a huge portion of his energy into his attack. The mass was seen running up the beam before coming to the front of it in one mighty burst. The blast given off was double that of before, and began driving Gohan's attack back. But just then, the young Saiyan also punched it, letting out a yell and driving forward with another mass of energy. His contribution to the tug of war drove Goku's blast back, causing the older Saiyan to slide along the ground, his feet not dug in firmly enough. Gohan on the other hand had prepared, his feet and stance still as strong as ever.

Goku growled, shutting his left eye as the strain on him increased. He knew he was at a loss since he had sacrificed too much energy in the latter fight. Plus the Super Saiyan 2 form was new to him; it placed too much stress upon his body since controlling it was far too hard. Gohan found it easy when in Super Saiyan 2 because he trained in it a lot, which puts him back at this level. Training for years on end, he was far above the level of skill and strength he had ever achieved. Now it was brought down to this. As a last resort, Goku powered up once more, his aura infusing with his blast as he gathered the final brunt of his energy. Then with one, powerful yell, he sent it in, his blast doubling in size as the energy moved forward, hammering at the spear head and driving Gohan's attack back. The young Saiyan smirked, seeing as that he had the advantage here.

His aura expanded all the more, ripping at the ground as he held his position. Gold bolts of lightning began to stream around him once more, accompanied by that radioactive glow. Then, in a show of incredible force, Gohan gripped his right hand's wrist with his left and drove forward, letting out a bellowing yell as he sent a huge mass of energy into his attack. It pulsed for a moment, before expanding, growing larger then Goku's and soon enough, enveloping the attack and pressing on. Goku received the greatest shock of his life when his strongest signature attack was overwhelmed and he was sent flying back. An explosion occurred which knocking the Super Saiyan 2 out of the ring and out of bounds. Debris and rubble flew everywhere, the crowds overwhelmed by a bright flash of light. Goku yelled out loud as he was sent flying before crashing into the barrier wall of the stands, falling back down to the ground with a loud thud. Withering where he lay, the Saiyan then relaxed a bit, his hair flashing back to normal black and eyes returning to their original color. He was clearly beat by ring out, but was also beat from exhaustion.

As soon as the explosion and lights died down, the crowds were left with the conclusion to the final round of the tournament. Disheveled and shocked people gazed down onto the damaged ring, the clouds of dust settling to reveal the true extent of what had just gone on. The Z-fighters also stared, along with the commentator who was still gathering up his senses. When all eyes searched the arena, they immediately settled onto the Blind Bandit, who stood tall and proud on his end of the ring, suspended inside his golden aura. With a smirk, he lowered himself to the ground, warping energy dropping a bit.

Everyone gaped, silence falling on everyone. As time ticked by, the cloud cover above lifted, revealing the brilliant blue sky above with the rays of sunlight finally able to break through to the stadium. Warmth came by again; enlightening everyone and helping them recover from the after shocks of the tournament. Within the set time between the final moments of the round and the following events, the crowds were able to process what went on. With the realization coming to light, applause started up amongst the people before they burst out into a sea of cheers and shouts. Awed and astounded by the fight, they all gave their appreciation and satisfaction in this form, their calls echoing across the stadium and chanting the Blind Bandit's name.

Gohan smiled, gazing about him while still in his Super Saiyan state. Around this time, the commentator had finally recovered from his shock, and after gathering up his microphone, stepped up onto the ring and forwarded his duties.

"_**Ladies and gentlemen, it's all over! The final round has been decided, and the champion of this year's World Martial Arts Tournament is, the BLIND BANDIT!!!"**_ the announcer cried out, the stands lighting up into another shockwave of cheers and applause. Their voices boomed, with Gohan bowing to every side and every corner, right fist in left palm. He also bowed towards Goku, who he saw sitting up and shaking his head. Seeing that his father could use some help, Gohan walked forward, never minding the crowds at this point. _**"Everyone, lets give it up for the Strongest Under the Heavens Champion!!!"**_

The echoing cheers and applause of the people were drowned out in Gohan's ears. As he hopped off the ring, he approached his father and offered him a hand. The Saiyan glanced up at him, looking surprised and bewildered. It was then, at the sight of his opponent's friendly gesture, Goku smiled and grabbed his hand, being helped to his feet. Dusting himself down after releasing the Blind Bandit's firm grip, the Saiyan placed his hands on his hips and nodded to the warrior. Gohan nodded back before watching the spiky haired Saiyan walk back to the waiting room.

Seeing him off, Gohan sighed and reached into his pocket. Pulling out another red mask, he tied it around his face and relaxed, his energy dropping as he averted back to his base form. With his mask fastened and back on, he turned and leapt back onto the ring, approaching the commentator. On his way, the crowds all around held up clear, white banners with his name on it, while cheering him on. Goten and Trunks, overwhelmed by the excitement of the fight, also cheered for the Blind Bandit, with the Z-fighters staring curiously as the warrior came up to the announcer. Now what was going to happen, now that he has proven himself to be the most formidable of all of them?

When he reached the announcer, he was met with a handshake and a wide grin. _**"Congratulations Blind Bandit, you have won the World Martial Arts Tournament! And as champion and winner of this event, you have won the 10,000,000 Zenie Prize money!!!" **_the announcer exclaimed, joined by three other tournament officials. The three monks, including head monk, presented the warrior with the large check, and the Champion belt. Gohan smiled, accepting the check, but was rather hesitant about the belt. Nevertheless, he took it, tucked it under his arm and shook hands with the three presenters. Stepping back, he bowed to them in respect, before having the mike from the commentator thrust to him. The man in shades and tuxedo smiled. _**"So…do you have anything you would like to share with us?"**_

Gohan shook his head and waved. "No thank you…I don't really have anything to give in return…just thank you…" The commentator chuckled and nodded.

"_**Ahh that's very understanding, champion. Great match today! Great match! And we're all looking forward to seeing you again next year to defend your title!"**_ the announcer exclaimed. The Blind Bandit nodded affirmatively, whilst the official turned to the crowds and gave one last call. _**"Isn't that right folks! Are you willing to see the Blind Bandit return and fight again!"**_ the crowds let out a cheer, confetti and streamers being thrown into the air in response. All of this was saved up to this very moment, fireworks going out with more cheers and applause sounding. The Z-fighters, though pleased that Hercule didn't win this year, were still a little concerned about this situation. Everyone but Piccolo felt that they needed to dive into this a bit more.

With a final wave, Gohan left the ring…

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_

****

* * *

_**(Semi-Finals):**_

Vegeta: 75,000,000

Vegeta (Super Saiyan): 150,000,000

Gohan (Blind Bandit- Base Suppressed): 15,000,000

Gohan (Blind Bandit- Base Full Power): 120,000,000

Gohan (Blind Bandit- Unlocked Potential): 180,000,000I

**(Round 2):**

Goku: 80,000,000

18#: 30,000,000

* * *

_**(Final Round):**_

Goku: 80,000,000

Goku (Super Saiyan): 180,000,000

Goku (Super Saiyan 2): 360,000,000

Goku (Super Saiyan 2- Exhausted Energy): 350,000,000

Gohan (Blind Bandit- Base Full Power): 120,000,000

Gohan (Blind Bandit- Unlocked Potential): 180,000,000

Gohan (Blind Bandit- Super Saiyan): 360,000,000


	44. Hero's Return

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Hero's Return_

_**Minutes later…**_

Now the tournament was at a close, and everyone could finally head on home and get a long deserved rest. It has certainly been an exciting day, with everybody singing their praises towards the Blind Bandit, the new World Champion and Strongest under the Heavens. Within moments, the stadium crowds had cleared out, with Goku, Vegeta and 18# receiving their levels of prizes they had attended in this tournament of 500,000 Zenie each. It was small, but satisfactory for them. The fights were really good, so they didn't have any complaints.

However…there was still another matter at hand to deal with…

The Blind Bandit was in the waiting room, packing his stuff into a blue bag he had brought with him. Making sure he had everything he needed and bore the day he stepped into this tournament, he zipped it up and flung it over his shoulder, holding it in his right hand. With his mask still wrapped around him, he took his leave and left, heading out the back way towards the exit. Entering the courtyard outside of the waiting room, the young warrior planned on heading on home, well…that was one of his intentions. He had packed up his house into a capsule before he left, as well as everything else. The young Saiyan was actually expecting someone to find him…

…and they did…

"Hey you!" a familiar voice called from behind. The young Saiyan stopped, recognizing it and the ki level the person emitted. He smiled underneath his mask, standing perfectly still. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw that it was his father standing behind him, accompanied by Krillin and 18# at his sides, as well as Vegeta standing out a little and Piccolo at the back. To Goku's left, beside Krillin stood the rest of the gang, which included Chi-Chi, Bulma, Goten, Trunks, Yamcha, Ren, Ox-King, Master Roshi, Marron, Oolong and Puar. They were all here, all of them wanting to meet him for one good reason.

"_Perfect…"_ Gohan thought happily, turning around a bit more. "I was expecting this…and quite a turn out it is…"

Goku glared at him, as well as everyone else who thought of him suspicious. The only people who didn't were the Ox-King, Master Roshi, Oolong, Puar, Goten, Trunks and Ren. Frankly though, a couple of them were a bit nervous. Piccolo on the other hand was just staring with his usual expression in play. Vegeta, Krillin, 18# and Yamcha all looked ready for a fight. Gohan chuckled, turning around.

"It's great to see that the whole gang still acts instinctively…even though the odds of you winning are slim to none," the young Saiyan said in monotone expression. Vegeta growled and stepped forward, angered enough as it is.

"Enough of this!" he yelled.

"Tell us who you are!" Goku shouted. "And no more games!"

"It's not every day we come by people with your strength!" 18# stated with her arms folded. "So spill it!"

Gohan grinned, looking from left to right at the whole gang. Boy this so reminded him of the old days, only these threats weren't directed towards him. It felt kind of strange being on the spear end of all these callings for a fight. Now he knew how Frieza, Cell and the Androids felt. This was certainly a strange turn of events. He couldn't help but smile.

"My…after all these years, you guys have changed so little," the young Saiyan exclaimed. "Your baldness is backed up by your strength. Anyway, I'm not stopping here to play games…although I do expect some positive feeds coming from you. I know so because you guys are my family and friends…"

Bulma raised an eyebrow. "Friends?" Chi-Chi raised her hand and scratched her head, glancing over at her husband and the other fighters.

"Okay, now I'm really confused," the woman said. "Why are we talking to him again?"

Goku stepped forward. "Because I think this guy's in bad taste, most likely an enemy! No one on this planet except us can possess his kind of power!!"

"He's also a Saiyan!" Vegeta growled. "And there are no other Saiyans left alive except what you're seeing standing before you: me, Kakarot and the half-breeds!"

"So that's why you're interrogating him," Master Roshi said from the sidelines, rubbing his chin and beard. "Hmm…that sounds about right…"

"Anyway, who said we're your friends?" Krillin asked. "You have no connection with us; therefore you're not our friend!"

Gohan chuckled. "Oh really…and I thought you guys would have had me all figured out," the young Saiyan exclaimed, dropping his bag and reaching up to undo his mask. The gang was prepared for a fight, but that's not what Gohan wanted to get into. Seconds later, he removed the mask and smiled up at the others, smirking. "Surprise dad…"

It seemed that everything that they held now had fallen apart. In exact unison everyone gasped, Goku's eyes widening as he set his sights upon the true face behind that mask. When he was in Super Saiyan, he didn't recognize him, but now, things have become even clearer. Krillin, 18# and even Vegeta stared with wide eyes as well, mouths agape in shock.

"G-Gohan!" Goku shouted.

The young Saiyan standing in front of him nodded his head, still smiling. His familiar eyes flickered, with his hold on his original ki signature being released. When the Z-fighters sensed it, they were finally able to tell it was really him. Chi-Chi, Bulma, Ox-King, Yamcha, Oolong and Puar were also gaping at him, all of them struck with disbelief. The only people who were looking basically confused were Goten, Marron, Trunks and Ren. It was just then Chi-Chi walked forward, stepping towards the young man. She stopped a couple of feet in front of him, having to look up because of the height difference. The Son mother blinked, looking him up and down, but mostly at his face. Gohan just smiled back.

Eventually, the woman spoke, only able to muster these words up, just to be sure. "Gohan…is that…really you…?" The boy nodded again, his expression brightening.

"Yup…it's me, mom!" he exclaimed.

Chi-Chi stared at him for a few moments. Then, she smiled as well, her eyes brimming with specks of tears. All at once, she leapt at the young Saiyan, encasing him in the biggest hug ever given. Gohan was nearly staggered, his expression showing his surprise as his mother buried her face into his chest. "My baby!" she cried out, tightening her hug as she began to sob into her chest. "My Gohan is back!" The young Saiyan smiled a moment later, returning his mom's hug and placing his chin on her head, closing his eyes.

"I missed you mom…"

Krillin, Vegeta and 18# were still staring in disbelief, the looks on their faces priceless. It was perhaps the first time anyone saw these threw like this. But that didn't matter. All that mattered now was the young man standing before everyone. Immediately after seeing Chi-Chi hug the teenager, Goku also brightened up. With tears brimming in his eyes, he rushed over to his son. When Chi-Chi broke away a bit, the spiky haired Saiyan also wrapped his son up into a hug, Gohan chuckling as his parents embraced him.

"Gohan!" Goku exclaimed, happiness written all over his face. "It's you! It really is you!!!"

"Okay dad…it's me. Heck, you should have realized. I'm the only one out of all of us that can beat you in a fight," the young Saiyan joked. Goku pulled away, while Chi-Chi kept on hugging her son tightly, not daring to let go. His father smiled at him, both of them practically standing at the same height.

"I…never thought it was you," the father said to him, tears streaming down his face. "I never knew you would come back on such short notice…"

Gohan just smiled, nodding. "Well, here I am!" he then glanced over at the others, along with his father.

"Hey, come on guys! Aren't any of you going to say hello?! My son's back!" the Saiyan exclaimed. Immediately after he had shouted that, Bulma, Krillin, 18#, Yamcha, Puar and Oolong rushed forward, yelling out Gohan's name and coming to join in on the hug. Okay, now Gohan was nearly toppled by all of them as they embraced in this joyous reunion. Everyone was laughing, as well as shedding tears of happiness. It was a precious moment, one for all of them to share…

Vegeta, finally recovering from his shock, smirked and crossed his arms. "Bah…spare me. I should have known it was you all along, Kakabrat!" the Saiyan Prince jeered. He then glanced back over at Piccolo. "…And what about you, Namek…shouldn't you be in that mob?" The Namekian, who was personally smiling at the sight, glared over at the one who was addressing him and shrugged.

"I already knew it was Gohan long before you guys realized it…" The Saiyan Prince grunted in response and stared back at the scene, seeing Gohan get his hair ruffled by Yamcha, receive tight hugs from Chi-Chi and Bulma, exclamations from Krillin, 18#, Puar and Oolong, and a pat on the back from Goku. You couldn't help but smile, it was some sight.

Chi-Chi pulled away after finally being able to hug her son and smiled up at him, tears running down her cheeks and eyes sparkling. She was so happy, it was beyond anyone's knowledge how she was feeling. "Oh…Gohan…I missed you so much," she cried. "Please, don't ever leave me again…" Gohan chuckled, smiling down at his mother.

"Hey, don't worry mom," he exclaimed. "I'm planning on staying this time. You can count on it!" His mother nodded before moving back so that he could get some air. Everyone who had once crowded around the boy also stepped back, giving him space to breathe. Krillin and Yamcha were grinning at him, tears welled in their eyes.

"Gohan! It's so good to see you again!" Krillin exclaimed.

"Yeah, long time no see! We were beginning to think you weren't going to give us a call! But here you are, man!" the base baler exclaimed, placing his hands on his hips. Bulma nodded in agreement before making an important observation. She placed her finger to her chin as she looked the Saiyan up and down, hunching booth eyebrows in response.

"And my, how much you've grown!" Bulma exclaimed. "Look at you! You're a young man now!"

"And a good-looking one at that," 18# added, giving him a wink. Gohan chuckled and rubbed the back of his head in the famous Son way, grinning.

"Well, a lot of things have changed in the past six years. I guess I'm kind of relieved," he said. Chi-Chi clapped her hands together, eyes still sparkling.

"Oh, my boy has grown into a handsome young man!" she said with delight, placing one hand on her hip and giving him a mischievous look. "Girls will be all over you now. They'll definitely be looking forward to your other side…"

The young Saiyan blushed, lowering his arm and putting his hands into his pockets. He shrugged. "Yeah well…I do have _one_ girl in mind…"

Chi-Chi let out a cry of joy. "Oh that's excellent! I'll be a grandmother in no time!"

Gohan sighed, shaking his head. It was then he glanced over to the rest of his family who was slowly approaching. In front of the Ox-King and Master Roshi, he saw Goten and Trunks standing there, staring up at him. When they saw the young Saiyan look their way, they both stopped and backed away a bit, a little uncertain about the situation. The group looked in the direction the spiky haired half-Saiyan was looking in, and saw Goten and Trunks standing their, acting shy. Gohan, blinking a few times, smiled and stepped forward, placing his hands on his hips.

"I _do_ believe I've seen you two before…" The Ox-King chuckled and leaned over a bit, pushing the two boys forward into the spotlight. They were both still looking uncertain.

"Go on you two, say hello," the Ox-King exclaimed. The two boys smiled nervously and waved to him.

"H-Hi…" Trunks said.

"N-Nice to meet you," Goten also said. Gohan chuckled and walked forward, stopping in front of the two boys and crossing his arms. He then reached down and ruffled Trunks' hair, the chibi responding to this by trying to bat his hand away but without success. When Gohan removed his hand, it looked like Trunks was in Super Saiyan, only without the golden aura and such. Everyone laughed at the sight.

"I definitely know you Trunks," Gohan replied with a grin. "I've known you since you were just a baby." He then turned to the miniature Goku, placing his hands on his hips and raising an eyebrow down at him. A smile donned his features, eyes flashing. "But I don't really know you, Goten…"

The boy tilted his head up at him, giving him a questioning look. "Then…how come you know my name?" Gohan chuckled again, reaching down and gathering the boy up into his arms. He then propped him up on his right shoulder, smiling at him with the chibi Saiyan still staring at him curiously.

"Hey…didn't you hear the stories about me?" he asked his younger brother. Goten shrugged at this, with Gohan still smiling brightly. "Well, I practically know everything that goes around, even when I'm gone. Do you want to hear some of my stories then if you didn't?" he asked. Goten stared at him for a moment, blinking a few times before grinning and nodding enthusiastically.

"Okay!" he laughed, leaping at his older brother from his position on his shoulder and hugging him. Gohan laughed happily as he embraced the child, all the Z-fighters standing around them smiling at the sight. The Ox-King chuckled and walked forward, patting his oldest grandson on the back, with the young Saiyan smiling up at him in response.

"It's good to see you, Gohan!" the old timer said, grinning at him. "Hey! How about a hug for your grandfather?" The young Saiyan chuckled and wrapped an arm around him, while holding Goten in the other. Gohan practically buried his face into his grandfather's shoulder, smiling up at him when they pulled back.

"I missed you too, grandpa," the spiky haired half Saiyan said happily, bringing his brother up and placing him on his right shoulder again. Trunks, feeling a little left out, walked forward and tugged the older brother's pant leg. Gohan glanced down, blinking in surprise. The purple haired child smiled up at him.

"I've heard of you, Gohan!" the chibi said. "You're the one who beat Cell, weren't you?"

Gohan stared for a moment, processing this information before smiling and nodding in response. "Yup, that's me…do you want to hear about it some more from my point of view?" he asked. Trunks grinned and nodded affirmatively.

"Yeah!"

The young Saiyan laughed and gathered the other child up, propping him up on his left shoulder. Now with Goten on his right and Trunks on his left, it balanced the overall weight he felt. Turning around, Gohan held his hand out towards his bag, which suddenly lifted off the ground and hovered over to him, passing by some surprised faces. Grabbing it, the half-Saiyan hero held it at his side while looking from left to right at the two eager looking children.

"Well…I can tell you all about our adventures. I'll be glad to start from the beginning," he exclaimed. Goten and Trunks nodded enthusiastically, with Bulma and Chi-Chi smiling in the background. It was at that moment Bulma turned to her husband, who was now standing beside her. With a frown she slapped him over the back of his head, the Prince growling and rubbing the place she struck before glaring at her.

"Ouch!" he yelled. "What was that for?" His mate gestured over to the three half-Saiyans standing by the Ox-King and the others. Gohan was just taking the moment to say hello to Master Roshi, with Marron still standing by Ren, holding hands.

"You never gave Trunks piggy-backs like that when he was younger. No wonder he's so fond of Gohan!" Bulma stated. Vegeta grumbled and looked away, arms crossed. Chi-Chi just sighed at the sight and tilted her head, leaning back into her husband's arms. Goku was also smiling.

"My boy…he's so grown up," the mother said while the spiky haired Saiyan behind her nodded in agreement.

"Yup," Goku exclaimed. "…he's definitely going to make a great dad later on…" Krillin and 18# glanced up in surprise, never expecting to hear that sort of thing from him. They then turned to each other, shrugged and then proceeded to collect their child from Ren and Yamcha. However, when they got to them, they saw Marron walk over to Gohan and tug on his pant leg just as Trunks had done. Gohan turned away from Master Roshi and looked down to see the little girl standing at his feet, looking up at him with a puzzled look.

"A-Are you the Mr. Gohan my daddy told me about?" the girl asked. Gohan blinked, looking over at Krillin and 18# to see them staring at him.

"Is she your daughter?" he asked. The husband and wife nodded, crossing their arms proudly. In turn Gohan smiled and glanced back down at Marron, nodding affirmatively to her.

"Yup…" Marron stared at him for a moment before smiling, eyes sparkling.

"Can I have a piggy-back too?" she asked. Gohan laughed, reaching down and taking her into his arms, cradling her.

"Yup. Plenty of room up here," Gohan said, raising his left arm and holding it out to the side. Trunks shuffled over, coming to sit on his bicep while Gohan placed Marron on his shoulder where Trunks once sat. The girl latched onto his head, not tightly though, and looked around. She beamed happily at Gohan who nodded to her before turning to his friends. They were all looking at him with wide grins of amusement.

"Heh…guess I look kind of silly at the moment, huh?" the young Saiyan said. Everyone who could take a joke laughed, with Gohan also adding; "Now I know how a coat hanger feels."

It was then, after a moment's more of talking, the Z-fighters gathered their things and headed off out of the stadium. Together, they walked towards the very landing ports Bulma had used to get them here, and would use the same way to get out. Gohan was happy to be back, and everyone was happy to have him back.

He felt everything would be going well from now on…

* * *

Hours later, Gohan found himself back at the his old home, along with the rest of the gang who had been at the World Tournament today. The jet that had carried them here was capsulated once again, with the group scattered out onto the front lawn grass, organized into their respective groups. Couples went together, those who spent a lot of time at a said homestead did so too and Gohan, hero of the day, still carried Goten, Trunks and Marron on his shoulders. When they landed and dispersed over the area, the wide open spaces became open to them, with Gohan breathing in the fresh air and relieving in it.

It was then, after setting the kids down Gohan brought his bag up to him and began searching through the contents. Many of his friends passed the time talking to each other, while his mother, who was happy at having her son back, walked over to him. Smiling up at the young man, Chi-Chi gestured towards their cozy little home sitting beside the river.

"Hey, Gohan," the mother exclaimed, catching the addressed one's attention. The spiky haired half-Saiyan stopped scrounging through his bag for a moment, and looked down at his mother. "Just so you know…I left your room exactly the way you left it six years ago. I hope that's alright with you…"

Gohan nodded to her with a smile, continuing to search through his bag. Goku also walked up to stand by his wife, with Goten, Trunks and Marron gathered around him. The three children were smiling up at him, curious to what he was doing.

"That's okay mom…thanks. But as of a couple of months ago after I won at the Four Chambers of Commerce National Tournament, I was able to use the winnings to come up with suitable lodgings for myself," the young Saiyan said. He grinned in success as he drew a capsule container from his bag. Chi-Chi and Goku glanced at each other in confusion, but then looked back at their son to see him lower his bag to the ground and open the container. As he did so, he scanned through the four capsules he had inside, including the tracer device he carried with him. Then, after counting the numbers on each capsule, he turned to his right and walked out of the crowds, passing Yamcha, Ren and Krillin along the way. He came to stand just 20 meters to the right from his house, close to the dirt path that led to a road just a couple of miles away. From here, he pulled out a yellow capsule with the number 05 printed on it. Bulma looked to see what he was doing, mostly curious about the device he was using.

Closing the container and putting it into his pocket, the smartly dressed Saiyan, read the inscriptions on the back and flicked a switch, with Bulma stepping out from the group. All the Z-fighters had their eyes fixated on him.

"Uhh…Gohan," Bulma began. "Where exactly did you buy that capsule?" she inquired. Gohan smiled, glancing over his shoulder at his friends.

"Assuming the disguise I took a trip down to West City and bought myself a house of my own design. I used the private account I had set up for my own personal use so that I didn't attract any attention from the staff. I'm pretty well known at your company, Bulma," the young Saiyan stated. The blue haired scientist crossed her arms and stared at him in disappointment.

"And you didn't even drop in to say hello…" she said, moodily. Gohan chuckled, turning back to his capsule.

"I wanted my return to be a surprise. The tournament was the perfect place for it," he replied. Glancing up, Gohan began taking in the minor details of the foundations and levels of ground he should set his new place up on. He didn't want to ground to be too hard or two soft, otherwise it will ruin the whole deal. Rubbing his chin in thought, the young Saiyan smirked a second later and stepped back. Since everyone was at a safe distance, he didn't have to worry. Holding his left hand forward, he clenched his fist and opened it up quickly, waving it over the area in front of him. His foot shifted and tapped the ground, sending energy into it so that he could gain control over the elements beneath and around him. In so doing, the earth began to shift. An outline was suddenly sliced into the ground, the large area beside the Son residence being the perfect spot for it.

Seconds after the various outlines have been drawn up, two more lines suddenly shot out from where the entrance was supposed to be built and moved out. It was then a dirt path started to take shape, the grass being ripped away by unknown forces, clearing the way. Gohan led this path back towards the path connecting to the old residence, stopping as soon as they joined. To finish it, Gohan began cutting a square trench around the area, forming the front yard and the places where a wall, hedge of gate should be. Within moments it was done, and the ground stopped shaking. Goku, Chi-Chi, Bulma, Yamcha, Ren, Krillin, Ox-King and Master Roshi watched with interest, finding his landscaping quite fascinating. He really had a way of doing things.

After which, Gohan brought up his capsule and pressed the top button to activate its primary function. With a single click, he tossed it forward, the capsule landing directly in the outlines he had drawn up. It bounced a couple of times across the ground, with the final bounce set directly in the centre of the mapped out plans imprinted in the earth. A second later the capsule exploded, a cloud of white smoke bursting out and enveloping the whole airspace right before their very eyes. Moments later, just like every resulting CC made product, the cloud died and the Z-fighters were presented with what looked like a mansion standing right in front of them. Everyone except Piccolo and Vegeta stood bewildered as they stared up at the newly formed building.

Gohan smiled, backing away and checking out the results of his work. It was exactly as he had expected it. His house was all that was; three large dome shaped buildings standing in an area of 200 by 200 meters. All three buildings were large, white walled on the outside with two levels, ground and second floor. The main building, which was the structure built in front of the other two domes and the building the now stone pathway led up to, was the main spectacle. There was a basic doorway, similar to that of the old Son residence's front entrance. Above that, a little to the left, there was a big balcony built into the side. It looked more like an upper floor deck then anything else. It was also beneath that balcony there was an actually deck with an outdoor dining set up under a patio. These were highly extravagant things for the young Saiyan to have, especially for a house this size. The other two buildings connected to this one, although they had balconies of their own, with the deck connecting to the building on their left, they were just pretty basic. A little bit out to the right, at the back, there was also a large green house, even though the Z-fighters didn't know why Gohan had something like that built into it. To complete the outer look of the whole house, there was a hedge that surrounded the property with a gate and mailbox up front, and a small garden around the front. It was an impressive sight, but wait till you got inside…

Gohan turned to his friends, seeing the looks of shock imprinted on their faces. He stepped to the side of the pathway he stood on and gestured towards the gateway. "Welcome to my home!" he exclaimed proudly.

Krillin and Yamcha were in hysterics the moment Gohan had said those words.

"My Kami, Gohan!" Krillin shouted. "This is your house!"

"How much did this whole thing total up to?!" Yamcha continued. Gohan scratched the back of his head, looking up in thought.

"Well, the total, including interior, extras, furniture, insurance…I'd say approximately…2,500,000 Zenie," the young Saiyan replied.

"WHAT!" Krillin and 18# shouted.

"That cheap for this set up?!" Yamcha yelled. "This place is a mansion for crying out loud!" Gohan shrugged and opened the gate, stepping inside. He kept in touch with his friends, who were still awing at the whole structure. Goten, Trunks and Marron walked forward, looking over the entire property with wide eyes. Chi-Chi had nearly fainted, with Goku bearing the same awed expression as his youngest son. Vegeta and Piccolo remained stead fast; while everyone else…well…their shock would give you a pretty good enough picture already.

"Well, I didn't have to worry about clothes or food that much, except maybe a few articles of stuff that were necessary. The furniture was cheap, I made a fortune selling crystals and diamonds to those big shots in the jewelry business, but most of my earnings came out of my tournament winnings. So far, my bank account stands at 106,000,000 Zenie," Gohan exclaimed. Krillin and Yamcha fell over anime style, while the others were flabbergasted. Chi-Chi rushed right up to her son standing by the gate, all in hysterics. She nearly knocked over Goten and Trunks along the way.

"Over a 100,000,000 Zenie!" the Son mother shouted at him, shocking the young Saiyan at Chi-Chi's reaction and sudden appearance. "That's enough to get you a P.H.D, or set you for life with your family!" Bulma was feeling a little dizzy as everything that was happening now came at her full force. Right now, everyone was approaching the front gate to the house that practically dwarfed the old Son household.

"Why did you buy such a big house, Gohan?" Bulma asked. "I just…can't believe that you'd get something like this…" The young Saiyan shrugged at her, Chi-Chi, Goten, Trunks, Marron and Goku walking through the gateway and onto his front lawn, looking around and checking out the deck, patio and entire area.

"Well, I just wanted to come out prepared. I knew that I would be coming back here, and with my new life I would be starting, I wanted to begin with a clean slate," Gohan exclaimed, glancing over at his house, Master Roshi, Oolong and Puar walking by, followed by Krillin and 18#. "Now I have enough money to provide for a family of my own when I get married, setting us ahead for a lifetime. I need enough room for the kids, and if any of you want to stay over, there's another suite area in the second building down there. The forward building is basically for me, and to the right is mostly for indoor training. The green house is also an addition to my place…"

Bulma nodded in understanding. What he said made perfect sense, since she lived in a big house and Trunks alone was such a hand full, she knew that the bigger the place with a half-Saiyan child, the better. She smiled up at him, nodding affirmatively as the Ox-King marched past and into the front yard. "You know what, you're right," the blue haired woman said. Gohan nodded affirmatively, but was a bit taken aback when Bulma shot at him, looking all excited. "Does this place have a hot tub?"

Gohan nodded, looking a bit nervous as he pointed towards the house. "Yeah: third building, second main-hallway on the right in the training area. There's also a pool and a sauna if you're interested…" Bulma grinned and trotted off, followed by a very amused looking Gohan.

Taking the lead, he opened the door and let them all inside, with Goten, Trunks and Marron rushing ahead. When they entered the main building, they were presented with a grand sight. The moment they had stepped inside, the group had set foot in the main lounge/living room. The whole room on the ground floor was huge with plenty of definite space. In the centre there was a coffee table with a couple of couches circulating that area, perfect for family and friends to get together. The carpeting was red, and the walls were white walled like the outside and strung with a couple of paintings. Around the back, in between two archways that led into halls, which led into the other two buildings, there was a large kitchen set up along with a dining room in the same area. It was in plain view, a walkway passing over it. Note; the walkways above their heads were actually the second floor, with a staircase to the left leading up onto that level. When you got up there, there were doors scattered throughout that level, leading to different rooms, with one doorway leading onto the balcony. To continue descriptions on the ground floor, there were bookshelves set up around on the right hand side from wherever everybody stood, along with a LCD flat-screen T.V; though they doubted Gohan used it much. There was also a study area to the right set up amongst the bookshelves, a desk with a computer easily spotted. The dining room and study were perhaps the only two in the entire room that stood out, since they were of primary basis. Anyway, beside the study, there was another way leading into Gohan's bedroom where he had his own bathroom. There were three more bathrooms as well, one more on this level to the left and two more on the upper floor. The place may have looked big on the outside, but inside, it was a whole different dimension. Everyone was awe struck, even Vegeta.

"Wow, Gohan!" Goten exclaimed.

"This place is huge!" Trunks shouted as well, both of them running down the way and into the centre of the room. The large lounge room prompted for the creation of a play room, being the most open space room they have ever seen. As for the others, they scattered. Goku broke away from Chi-Chi and circled the whole place, looking up onto the upper level that was in plain view. The railings were pained with shock-proof glass as barriers so that no one tripped and fell from that level. For all he knew, it was a 100 percent safe. Gohan just stood close to the entrance, smiling.

Goku let out a whistle. "Impressive…really good acoustics too…"

"I'll say," Krillin exclaimed as well, stepping into the lounge room with his hands on his hips. Goten and Trunks ran past him, nearly knocking the former monk over.

"When did you find the time to think up something like this, Gohan?" Yamcha asked. The young Saiyan shrugged, grinning with his hands in his pockets.

"I had it pictured: the perfect home," the Saiyan stated. Piccolo smirked at this, standing beside his student while looking around.

"I never thought you'd fancy places like this, kid," the Namekian said, smiling down at him. "I thought you liked the wild best…" the young Saiyan grinned, crossing his arms.

"I still do, Piccolo," he stated. The green warrior grunted and walked towards the centre.

"Wow," Chi-Chi breathed. "This place has everything. It's almost like Bulma's place, only a lot more extravagant…"

"Sparing no expense? Yeah right," the scientist exclaimed, walking past one of the bookshelves in the study and checking out the articles Gohan had. "He's got every single Math Book to date, including Language text books, and the latest to oldest catalogues from Capsule Corps _Starting Line-up Technologies_!" Bulma stated, pulling out one of the folders and taking a look in it. Here, she saw all her inventions labeled and pasted, all printed out on page. She smiled, eyes sparkling as she flipped through the pages. "So many memories…"

Gohan smiled, stepping forward from his place by the entrance. "So…would anyone like a tour?"

* * *

_**Some time later…**_

The owner of the new Son Gohan Residence gave the grand tour of his house for all his friends and family members, pointing out the various splendors and wonders of the household. He started off with the main building at the front, and then led them into the second building. Although this also served as a primary part of the whole house for Gohan with its greater library area, larger dining room, and other lounge room, he said that if any of them wished to stay they could use any one of the bedrooms here. He then later led them into the exercise building, where the pool was, as well as a couple of saunas, hot tubs and the gym rooms were built. The only place he showed very little of however was his green house, which mostly consisted of sacred ground he used for meditating. He did however lead them through the garden's path for a short time, and then went on through the rest of the large house. The tour took them outside onto the balconies, as well as the deck, where it had that familiar dining set up under cover, except this was set outside.

As soon as the tour was over and everyone had settled a bit, the gang then decided to hold a party to celebrate Gohan's return to them. It was declared that it would be held at the young Saiyan's place, with the whole group present attending. While Chi-Chi and Bulma saw to the food, Gohan, Krillin, Yamcha and Goku helped with the chosen table they would be using. With the outdoor deck used as the party's mainstay, the gang celebrated, using this chance to catch up, talk about the old days and fix some long forgotten bonds with Gohan. The young hero and warrior was the highlight of the entire party, receiving a lot of attention throughout the whole deal. Just like the rest of the gang, he enjoyed the family and friends dinner party, living it to the fullest through these many hours.

At one point during the party, Gohan used the time he was given to talk with Yamcha's wife, congratulating her as well as the baseballer on their union. He hadn't really met her before, but both were happy to get to know each other. It reminded the young Saiyan of how he had gotten to know the other members of the Z-Team many years ago. Ren was pleased to have met the half-Saiyan, both of them sharing a laugh every now and then whilst the rest of the gang talked amongst themselves in separate groups or pairs. Goku tried to find some new resolves with Vegeta, but was unable too because of the Saiyan's pride. Still, the Prince tried to be as social as possible. Krillin and Yamcha shared a talk with Piccolo, all of them still latched onto the past, which was clearly evident in their conversation. The two human fighters wanted to settle some old ties with each other just like Goku and Vegeta. Chi-Chi, Bulma and 18# got into a group as well, with Ren later onwards, going on to talk about woman stuff; such as how to deal with their husbands and kids. It wasn't a surprise to see the four of them blending in so well, since they were all friends in this. Oolong, Puar, Master Roshi and the Ox-King also got together to share some quality talk, leaving the kids to hang around with Gohan.

Drinks were served, with a wide variety of delicious food also partaking in this little celebration! There were laughs, as well as minor blunders when Goku nearly choked on a potato. Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Now the Saiyan finally knew not to shovel down food like there was no tomorrow. But moving away from this, the whole gang had a great time…

Gohan was certainly looking forward to the next many years of his life back…

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	45. Sins of Darkness

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Sins of Darkness_

_**As the months drive by…**_

Things got off well with everyone, now that Gohan was back. With his presence restored to the group, old bonds renewed and friendships renamed, life could finally carry on as it should have. There was so much missed. The young Saiyan was sure to make his while worth with everyone, distributing his time evenly, especially with his own family. He had a lot to learn, even though the party has given him a huge insight of what really happened. Even though world events were clearly aware in his head already, the experience of physically needing to be there needed to be restored. This was what he meant by tying together loose ends. His life would have to be improvised, helped along by slight adjustments.

For starters, he fixed up his room back at his old place, packing up the necessaries and moving them back to his new place. He left some of the other essentials back at his parents' place, meaning to keep the room prepared as well as vacated when he decided to spend some time over. Anyway, after everything had been fully set up and he was settled in back at Mount Paoz, he could really get down to some real family time.

For the next many weeks, he visited his family and friends, flying from place to place in an effort to catch up with everyone. He first fixed time with his father, both of them planning training sessions with each other, as well as spaces spent to use with Goten and Chi-Chi. Gohan also got along with Goten well, the chibi sometimes inviting Trunks over so that the three of them could play and spar as well. The newly returned, young warrior was impressed by their skills in fighting, and decided to tone them up a bit more in his own way. The kids looked forward to every single training session and get together. And finally, there was Chi-Chi. Feeling that she needed a hand around the old house, Gohan was sure to lend his services, the Son mother appreciating his helping hand. In return, she encouraged her son to study, as well as try on some new clothes. Strangely, the young Saiyan didn't want to change from his latest Blind bandit clothes, the black trousers, boots and uniquely designed trench coat growing attached to him. However, Gohan complied and began dressing into different outfits. He never forgot about his old gi however, and would at some points incorporate his new look with the old one.

Gohan also caught some time with the Briefs. Having suffered that humiliating defeat back at the World Tournament ring Vegeta demanded that the half-Saiyan train with him. This was mostly for a fact so that the Prince could take some fury out on a valued opponent, the half-Saiyan proving to be the closest thing to it. Gohan happily complied, the pair hitting the GR for many hours before emerging, with Vegeta bearing the most scars. Sometimes, whenever Gohan came over, he and his grumpy training partner didn't hit the GR, and got on to talking, getting things straight with each other. It has been a while after all. Then, times later, Gohan would join Bulma in her lab, also to talk and to get some much appreciated helping in. Bulma was very grateful for the young Saiyan's help. Later, Gohan would also get together with Trunks and have some play time, whether Goten was there or not. It was all in good fun…

"_Gohan!" Tien exclaimed after realizing who this new guest to the planet was. "Wow kid, welcome back. I never expected it to be you! Man how much you've changed!"_

_Gohan smiled and nodded back, shaking hands with the tri-clops while exchanging friendly stares. Not too long ago, the young Saiyan decided to take a trip to the Northern Mountains to visit some other old friends. He certainly hasn't forgotten about Tien and Chouzu. Boy, the past years they had were intense, what with battles and everything. It was great to see him again. He managed to track the two fighters near a mountain side village, both of them hard at training._

"_Thanks a lot, Tien!" Gohan said, returning the firm handshake with one of his own. "It's great to see you too, and in good fighting shape I might add." The mountain warrior grinned, releasing hands and following through with their greetings._

"_Well, unlike some of the others, we'll never let go of the old-days," the bald fighter stated. "You never know when you might run into another Saiyan!" the little mime floating beside him, obviously Chouzu, nodded affirmatively._

"_That's right! This way we won't let down our guards!" Gohan chuckled and bowed to the small fighter, receiving one in return._

"_Nice to see you, Chouzu, and hey…" the young Saiyan looked up and held his index finger towards him in statement. "Don't jinx it. I want these times to be as peaceful as ever so that I can enjoy it. It's been far too long…" Chouzu nodded affirmatively, still smiling._

"_Right!" Gohan smirked and placed his hands on his hips, looking between the two fighters in front of him._

"_Well, it still is great to see you two. How long has it been?" he asked. Tien smiled and walked forward, slapping him on the shoulder._

"_Way to long…come on," the tri clops said, gesturing over his shoulder. "Why don't we spend some time over a cup of tea. Launch should have the pot up, could use the drinks." Gohan nodded affirmatively._

"_Hey, that'll be great!"_

Of course, Gohan was sure not to miss out on the rest of the gang. He practically got together with everyone, including Dende, Mr. Popo, Korin and even Yajirobee. The young Saiyan would never forget his friends, especially after all the time he has spent with them and all the adventures they went on. It was just too hard to forget about them. Anyway, after organizing himself with the rest of those Gohan didn't see at the party, the young Saiyan checked it in with Krillin's family. Bringing Goten along with him, the two would spend a lot of time at Kame House, basically chatting and catching up. Not to mention, the small beach frontier was also the perfect place to catch some rays. It was sort of amusing to see the most powerful warrior in the universe pull up a deck chair alongside Master Roshi, 18# and Krillin, and work on his tan.

Then Gohan would spend some time with his old friend Piccolo. The two of them remained best friends, and still respected each other no matter how much they have changed. It was common occurrence to see them both meditating somewhere far out of reach, or perhaps talking up in the hillsides or on the Lookout. They would occasionally break into a short spar, honing in on their skills and seeing what new techniques each other has learnt. There have been a lot of changes in these few years, so it wasn't surprising that the two of them have gotten better. That was proven at this year's World Tournament…

Aside from spending time with his friends and family, Gohan managed to fit in a Super Saiyan's worth of training. Never needing to sleep, he would often retreat to his castle or other two sacred places where he could meditate or think to himself. It also provided him with some more training time, which he did in absolute secrecy. Though Vegeta and the others wanted to see him transform to Ascended Saiyan to see how strong he had really become, he politely declined. No one knew why he didn't want to transform, but maybe it was because it wasn't necessary…

But comes the time when he would use it, he would use it; because darkness always had a way of finding him…

* * *

_**Five Months later…**_

The World Tournament was way behind everybody now, with the Z-fighters' minds plastered on their day to day activities rather then on the thoughts of their past. This was mostly concerning for them, trying to get through work and play without any problems whatsoever, avoiding blunders etc. Even though the _Strongest Under the Heavens Tournament_ was one of the greatest days in their history and the highlight of Gohan's return, it came of little thought. For the time being, the Z-fighters would just have to concentrate on more important things. Gohan didn't mind at all, since he had also plain forgotten. To make it up for those days he had lost, he continued his daily routine, keeping in touch with his friends while training and studying (like he needed too).

Today, Gohan was spending time over at his parents' place, helping his mother with the washing. He was wearing his new Blind Bandit outfit, his sword slung around him. Though Chi-Chi wondered why he would be carrying his sword now at this time, she didn't pester about it. Instead, she just carried on with her work with her son lending a hand. With the many baskets filled with the wet clothes that needed to be hung, she was grateful for the help.

Tossing a large towel over the line, the Son mother clipped it in place with the clothes pegs, humming to herself. A couple more lines were set up, connected from the tree to the house. It was on one of these other lines Gohan was working on, his own basket of clothes in tow with a large stash already hanging to dry. He did really good, fast work, shaking to spread out the wet stuff and air them before flinging the said article onto the line. Simple tasks really, and the young Saiyan was enjoying himself. Goku was out with Goten at the Briefs place, so it basically left him alone at him with his mother. They were having a great time…

After hanging up one of Goku's spare gi pants, Chi-Chi smiled and glanced over at Gohan, seeing him smiling as well while hanging one of his brother's shirts. "Hey son, are you doing alright over there?" she asked. The clothes waved in the wind when a light gust pulled in, leaves and flower petals fluttering by from nearby trees. This didn't obstruct Gohan's view in the least as he glanced round the piece of clothing he had just hung up and smiled, nodding to his mother.

"I'm fine, mom," he replied. "Do you need any help there?" he asked. Chi-Chi looked into one of the baskets beside her and searched through, pulling up what looked to be a bedspread. Anticipating this, Gohan walked under the line he was working on and headed towards to help. Chi-Chi smiled up at him when he leaned in to offer his hands.

"Thanks son…" she exclaimed, both of them pulling up the large sheet and shaking it. Because of the breeze, it presented a bit of a problem, but afterwards the pair managed to get it up and over the line. Straightening it before applying the clothes pegs, the two stepped back and took a good look at their work. Seeing that it was satisfactory enough, Chi-Chi sighed and wiped her forehead, attracting the attention of her concerned son.

"You alright, mom?" he asked. "You look a bit tired. Maybe you should go inside and get some rest, I can finish up out here…" Chi-Chi smiled at him, hands on her hips.

"That's okay, Gohan. But thanks for asking," her mother said, leaning down to gather up another bundled up shirt or sheet. Flicking it to air it out, she smiled over at her eldest son. "Besides, I don't want to get rusty now do I?" Gohan blinked a couple of times, and then smiled, shaking his head.

"No one does mom…heh," he exclaimed, giving her a grin. Chi-Chi chuckled and flung another piece of clothing over the line, Gohan handing her a couple of clothes pegs before bending down to pick up another piece of clothing from the basket. Already this line was close to becoming full, but there were plenty of others that were free to use.

"Oh, there's that Son sense of humor," Chi-Chi said, shaking her head while putting the clothes pegs on to fasten the shirt she had just hung up. "Just like your father, except much more mature and well-mannered. But, yes, I guess you're right too. No ones wants to get rusty, especially you. What with your hectic training and everything. It's no wonder you're so strong. All that exercise has turned you into a really handsome man!"

Gohan smiled, handing her another small towel before diving back into the basket. As he was digging through another load and pulling up a towel, his senses suddenly caught onto an eerie ki signature before he was struck full on by a telekinesis energy wave. His eyes flew open and he looked up in shock, teeth gritted. Then, his eyes went blank as a vision was played out before him…or more like a telepathic message. For those many seconds, he was out of it, the world seemingly turning dark around him…

"_I'm coming back…to settle the score…and take away everything you hold dear to you…Echo…"_

"Son, could you hand me another clothes peg…son?" Chi-Chi said, holding onto the towel hanging on the line. As she was adjusting it, the mother realized she wasn't getting a response from her son and glanced down in surprise. "Gohan?" When she looked down at her eldest child, she saw that the young adult was staring ahead of him, looking shocked and fear struck with sweat running down his brow. Concerned, Chi-Chi knelt down beside him and grasped onto his shoulders. She shook him gently. "Son…?"

"_I'm watching you…waiting for you!"_ the voice whispered in his head, sending a biting chill down the young man's spine. Then, it finished off with a simple, blunt line…

"_Find me…!"_

"Son! Gohan! Are you okay!?" Chi-Chi said louder, now looking a little scared. She shook her son rougher. "GOHAN! Please, talk to me!"

Just then, Gohan's vocal and regular signals finally kicked in, his mind registering to the open world around him as he awoken from his state of psychic connection. He gasped in surprise, closing his eyes and shaking his head. He looked up again, looking nervous. His mother, seeing him return to earth, sighed in relief.

"Oh, thank goodness," she breathed. She then glared at her son and shook him, this tough rough so that he got her message. "Don't ever scare me like that again!" It was then she noticed Gohan was looking pale, his brow wet with sweat. His breathing was also uneven, and for a moment, Chi-Chi thought he had a fever or something. "Gohan, are you okay, son?" she asked, looking worried again. "Are you feeling alright? You don't look too good…"

It was then Gohan's senses opened up to full and extended over the area. When he picked up the signal, he growled, expression becoming serious. With gritted teeth and narrowed eyes, he stood up, along with his mother. Color returned to his face, with his fighting instincts coming out to full. Chi-Chi gasped, looking up at him with complete concern now. She had never seen her son react so suddenly in this manner.

"Gohan…?"

The young Saiyan glared over his shoulder, his sights fixating on something that wasn't even there. Just then, he looked back at his mother and nodded to her. "I'm fine. Mom, could you pardon me for a moment, there's something that just popped up…" Chi-Chi, confused and worried as ever, nodded and stepped back, relinquishing her hold on her son.

"Uhh…sure, Gohan…but, what is it?" she asked.

"I can't explain it," was all she got in return before Gohan ducked under the line and sprinted off towards the valleys outside of the Son residence area. Seconds later, after dashing away to a safe distance, the young Saiyan powered up and took off into the distance, heading in the direction he detected the ki he picked up earlier before. Chi-Chi walked forward a bit, watching as her son flew off into the distance. Still worried at the safety and well-being of her son, she placed a hand over her heart and spoke up, even though he couldn't hear her…

"Be careful, Gohan…"

The young Saiyan flew on at full speed, eyes glaring ahead of him with the wind blocked out by his blue, beating aura. The world flashed past around him in the form of a blur, the beauty of the vast landscapes blocked out in this form. He could only catch brief glimpses of astounding sights before continuing on, in search of something…or someone rather. Breathing heavily, he looked from left to right as he flew on, his senses telling him he was getting close to the source of that telepathic threat. Whoever sent him that message had a lot of guts, because Gohan was sure to find the culprit no matter what. Nobody threatened the lives of his friends and family, and lived to tell about it (look at where Frieza and Cell's careers went).

For a while, Gohan continued to fly around Mount Paoz, looking for the problem. It was only then he finally narrowed down on his target, and wasn't surprised at what he found. Flying directly ahead of him, there was a red speck of light leaving a trail of red sparkly energy behind it. About the size of a golf-ball, this little mass of red light was the source of the dark energy, and Gohan had a hunch he knew it was.

Scowling, Gohan picked up the speed and pursued it, the red sparkly light suddenly changing course, leading the young Saiyan into a chase through the hills and mountains. Moving at speeds only a Super Saiyan can reach both the chased and the chaser shot through the skies, weaving through mountain after mountain. All the while, Gohan reached out to try and grab the thing, growing steadily more frustrated with each failed swipe. Soon enough, the young Saiyan realized that he wouldn't be able to catch the thing like this, so he changed tactics. There was no doubt that the energy ball he was chasing was actually a spirit, and a powerful one at that. With a growl, Gohan reached back and drew his Spirit Blade from its sheath, the weapon shining in the light upon being drawn. With it drawn, he began to close in on the sparkling ball of energy, bringing his sword back while holding it firmly in both hands.

After shooting up into the sky, with Gohan still in pursuit, the red ball of energy then shot straight down, easily avoiding one of the young Saiyan's swings. In response, the warrior shot down after it, meaning to catch it if it was the last thing he did. As the ball neared the ground, it began to crackle with red electricity, its glow increasing in intensity as it plummeted at a faster rate. It was at this sight Gohan increased speed in an effort to catch it, but no matter what he did, the ball kept evading his reach. Within seconds, the two of them were drawn to ground level, a valley somewhere in Mount Paoz that Gohan had explored before sitting inside a cluster of surrounding forests and mountains. The ball of energy stopped and floated here, hovered about two meters above the ground. It was when he saw it stop the young Saiyan used this opportunity to destroy it, holding his sword back and then slicing at it, using his momentum to increase strength and efficiency. He struck!!!

Suddenly, he realized something was wrong. As soon as the sharp blade of his sword swung down at the ball of red light, he and his weapon was stopped dead in their tracks, a shockwave ringing out and punching a crater in the ground beneath him, dust hurling into the air. Just then, as he glared straight down at the ball of energy he had hit, he noticed that it was no longer a ball of energy, but a man standing beneath his blade, both hands held up towards him. But how he managed to stop Gohan's powerful attack was the main question? The answer, a black, long saber suddenly appeared, flashing into view in the form of a green flame. When it disappeared and the large, astonishingly strong sword came into full view, Gohan looked towards the figure he had attacked, looking surprised. The man had his head lowered, so the young Saiyan couldn't see his face. Just then, as the two remained suspended in that position and the dust cloud surrounding them dissipated, Gohan heard the dark figure chuckle and look up at him, yellow eyes meeting charcoal black.

"Good to see you…Echo," the figure exclaimed, smiling slyly up at him while holding him in place with little effort. Gohan saw his face and eyes, and gasped in shock. He couldn't believe who he saw…

Suddenly, the unknown warrior pushed his attacker away, gripping his black saber firmly in his left hand and slashing out at the young Saiyan while he was in mid-fall. Gohan blocked the strike with a quick defensive strike of his own, but was thrown back by the strength in the man's attack. Both swords clanged together loudly, blue sparks flying at the harsh clash of metal. Flying backwards, Gohan landed 30 meters away from the newly formed crater, holding his sword in his right hand and dropping into a firm fighting stance. His eyes locked onto the figure floating in the middle of the damaged ground patch some ways from him, who soon floated back down to the ground, still smiling. Now both warriors were on the ground, exchanging glares.

During these few seconds given, Gohan used them to take in the overall appearance of his opponent. When he looked the man up and down, he saw that his outfit and physical state surely matched the characteristics he was known for. The figure wore black, leathery trousers with a brown, fastened belt and combat boots. He also wore a red vest, layered with silver plated armor. On his left shoulder, he wore a smoothly made pauldron, a cape sewed to it and covering his left side completely. It sort of looked like a wing, the outside of it colored black while the inside was toned blood red. On his right, the man wore a long, brown glove with a red band tied to his upper arm. He looked fairly muscular, yay medium build that suited a fighter's stature. To complete it, the man had long black hair and yellow eyes, a definite appearance for a classic villain. However, it was his strengths and abilities Gohan feared most. Now held in his right hand, the man held the saber, with its blade matching thickness of a Katana but curved like a regular saber and was really strong. The handle guard was styled out, with a sheet of red gauze tied at the base of the blade. It used to be toned white, but is now stained with the blood of thousands so that it looked like red was its original color.

Upon taking in the appearance of his opponent, Gohan looked back at his face. The face resembled that of a cross between Broly and Cell, yet far more sinister. Those eyes, those yellow eyes outlined by red burned with fury and hatred. Just to look upon them sent chills down the young Saiyan's spine.

The dark warrior grinned. "It's been a long time," he exclaimed. His voice may have been calm and deep, but it was hinted with malice like tone. "You're looking well…"

Gohan hardened his glare. "Scythe! What're you doing here!?" The warrior, now identified as Scythe, just grinned and held his position, standing regularly.

"Just paying a visit to an old friend, that's all," the warrior exclaimed, eyes twinkling with evil. "I see you've made a few changes…"

"So have you," Gohan retorted. "But I find it distasteful that you're here! So don't play games with me! Why are you really here? What do you want, Scythe?"

Scythe grinned, eyes flashing as a blast of wind blew by them, ruffling their clothes and hair. "The real reason I came here, is so I can settle the score with you, Echo. To beat you in combat, and claim the Spirit Blade as my own, so that I can unite the darkness and take over the Spirit World!" the warrior said, smirking. Gohan just scowled, eyes flaring with anger.

"There is only one chosen wielder for the Spirit Blade, Scythe!" Gohan stated. "And that wielder is me! The sword only serves the purest soul, one who knows that it can summon its true power, and use it to bring peace to both worlds! You and I both know that, and for a fact that there is two of its kind: one summoned through selflessness and the other through selfishness!" Scythe chuckled, hair blowing about in the wind with his gaze glowing with malice.

"Hm…I see. Well, the Dark Blade itself has to prove that it's the most superior of all," the dark haired warrior replied, his own sword's blade shining in response. "And when I defeat you with it, I will destroy the Spirit Blade, so that no other being can take your place to oppose me. After that, I will take over both worlds on this planet, and sail through the voids of space to conquer the rest of the universe…just as I have planned 100's of years ago! With earth turned to darkness, I will inhabit a new world and establish a shining new society, one superior to this one that is divided by disbelief and doubt."

"Do you seriously think the Legions of Darkness will surface again?!" Gohan shouted. "Not unless I have anything to say about it! I won't let this planet fall to its knees to you, Scythe!"

The warrior smirked, chuckling in amusement to Gohan's strong words. "And what are you going to do about it? This planet is doomed to fall, no matter what you do. You choose not to fight me, I destroy you. You choose to fight, I'll obliterate you. Either way…you have no chance…" Gohan growled, gripping his sword tightly in his grip. Scythe chuckled, bringing his sword's blade up too. "Well…that's not my decision to make. It's up to you…Echo…"

Taking his two-handed saber into his grip, he crouched into a stance before shooting straight at his opponent. Gohan charged at him in kind, both of them pulling their weapons back and slashing out at each other. The cold blades of steel clashed, a shockwave ringing out along with a loud clang. Sparks flew on first impact, both fighters grappling and trying to force the other back. Gritting his teeth while glaring at the smirking Scythe, Gohan pulled back a bit before pushing forward, sending Scythe back. The dark spirit warrior back flipped, taking flight and beginning to float into the air. Gohan changed direction of his blade and sprinted forward, pushing off the ground and leaping at his retreating opponent. Scythe took up his own sword and charged in kind, both of them slashing out at the same time. Blades locked, clanging loudly as they both struck blows at each other, only to meet their opponent's blade. More sparks flew, both of them circling through the air while climbing in altitude. They circled, breaking their engagement and pulling away, Scythe still smirking while Gohan glared with gritted teeth. His opponent was surprisingly powerful, making the young Saiyan nervous.

Powering up, the young Saiyan shot at his opponent, bringing his sword about and slashing out at him, driving back with each and every blow. The black haired warrior blocked his attacks with ease while flying back, still climbing high into the sky. Gohan growled, bringing his sword up and down in an overhead strike, only to meet his blade in an over head block. He then slashed out in an angle, attempting to hit his side and cleanly imprint a nice cut, only for his opponent to bat his blade away like always. Moving his sword, Gohan spun around and tried a pivot thrust, but that too was stopped by his opponent side slipping and parrying the blow. With a grin, Scythe spun on the spot and aimed a slash at his head, sword swiping through the air. Gohan ducked down, powering up and leaping over his opponent, flying off just as the spirit warrior came in with another slash. Smirking, Scythe followed him with his eyes before he too gave chase after him, cape fluttering violently in the high winds as he pursued.

Gohan flew towards the mountains, weaving through the airs in his powered up state. Glancing behind him, he checked to see if Scythe was following him, and was surprised to see that he wasn't. Furrowing his brow, he looked back in front of him, only to see his opponent appear right before his very eyes, sword drawn and coming down at him in an overhead strike. Gohan gasped and forced himself to a stop, holding his sword up to block the attack. He did, blades clanging loudly, Scythe brought his blade up again and repeatedly struck at Gohan's defense three more times before spinning around on the spot and sending a backwards, roundhouse kick at his chest with his right foot. Gohan had the wind knocked out of him from the blow, his aura dissipating as he was sent plummeting from the surprise attack. However, he didn't fall very far but only a few stories as he was able to stop himself using his ki. After that, the young Saiyan brought his sword back up behind him and charged, growling as he flew at his opponent. Scythe charged in kind, lashing out with his blade that met with Gohan's. Both incredibly fast and skilled, their attacks were thereby equalized, the flashes representing their strikes and the clangs being the tell tale signs of their engagement in battle. Pressing home on his assault, Scythe drove Gohan back, the young Saiyan attempting to block all the strikes but was also forced to avoid several as well. Ducking under another head strike, the young Saiyan sent a left side kick at Scythe, the warrior moving his sword down and blocking it with his blade, a shockwave ringing out that sent him flying backwards and up through the air. After which, Gohan powered up and took off into super speed, appearing right behind his opponent with his back turned to him. Following through, the young Saiyan performed a back flip, sending a kick right down at the warrior's shoulder. Faster then expected, Scythe spun around and blocked the blow by raising his right arm, another shockwave ringing out on impact. Gohan flipped back into a proper stance, sword still drawn.

Smirking, Scythe charged at him, slashing out relentlessly with his blade, with Gohan avoiding all the strikes, backing away quickly. The spirit of darkness then brought his sword back, bringing it down on him in an overhead strike. The young Saiyan struck out as well, his blade meeting his in a violent clash. Clanging metal echoed for miles, with Gohan leaping back after blocking that strike. He took a defensive stance in mid-air, drifting backwards with an angered expression on his face. Scythe was persistent. Changing grips with his sword, the caped warrior flung himself at Gohan again and started out with a thrust, aiming for his chest. Gohan spun through the air, shifting to the side in avoidance. In so doing, as Scythe drove forward with that overdone strike, Gohan took up his sword in both hands, blade pointing skywards and then brought it down at his back in an overhead strike. Scythe quickly moved his sword, blade defended over his back and meeting Gohan's sword. Metals clanged together before Scythe parried away the young Saiyan's blade, spinning around and taking a basic stance again, smirking with his opponent glaring at him furiously.

In retaliation to Scythe's block off, the young Saiyan shot at him, spinning around and sending a neck aimed slash at the warrior. Scythe ducked, thrusting forward again and slashing at Gohan's mid-section. Gohan backed off, batting away his opponent's weapon and stabbing out at Scythe. The warrior spun around in a similar fashion to Gohan's avoidance maneuver before spinning around and beginning to lash out at his opponent. The young Saiyan defended himself from the blows, parrying each strike before moving forward and slashing at his opponent with a continuous assault of his own attacks. Scythe blocked those, grinning before batting Gohan's sword away, staggering him before thrusting forward with a stab strike. The spiky haired, young adult leapt over his blade, coming to float behind him with his sword bared in defense. Scythe spun around, still smirking. It was at that moment, their fight had taken them into the mountain areas, high cliffs surrounding them with very little vegetation nestled on them. It was also of some strange phenomenon that skies have gotten cloudier, darkening the landscapes far below.

Gohan growled, holding his sword behind him, blade shining. With a yell, he charged, flying forward at full speed in an effort to engage his opponent. Scythe held his blade up in defense and charged as well, their blades locking in another fierce engagement. The young Saiyan warrior lashed out first, sending at him complex attacks that would have reduced even Perfect Cell to cold cuts. Scythe, smirking wildly, easily blocked all of his attacks, ending his opponent's assault by blocking a overhead strike, holding his sword out with one hand, eyes flickering. Then, in a show of strength, he pushed Gohan away from him with a neck aimed strike that badly staggered the young warrior and sent him falling towards the earth. Gohan managed to slow and stop himself after plummeting 30 stories, sword held firmly in his left hand as he glared up at where his target was.

It was then Scythe smirked down at him, grabbing his cape by the hinge and floating up, he wrapped it around him, just like how Dracula would do before suddenly vanishing into thin air. Gohan gasped eyes, looking from left to right for his opponent. It was then, glancing towards a distant mountain he saw Scythe appear, the dark warrior charging at him with his sword held back, eyes flaring. A split second later, he appeared in front of his target and hammered him with a powerful slash. Gohan held up his sword to block it, and was incidentally sent flying back from the incredible blow. Yelling at the top of his lungs in his flight, the young Saiyan was sent into a mountain. He went straight through it, bursting out of the other side. Furrowing his brow, the young Saiyan kept his opponent locked in his sights, powering up before taking to the skies, hooking around the pillar like mountain he had just shot through. Scythe smirked, seeing his opponent flying in from the right. In preparation, he held up his weapon, taking a defensive stance. Just as Gohan was closing in on him, the young Saiyan flashed into super speed, disappearing from sight. Scythe frowned, smirking a second later and bringing his sword round, slicing at the air behind him. When his sword flashed there, he forced Gohan out of hiding, the warrior flashing into sight about three meters in front of him, leaping back with his Spirit Blade still held firmly in his left hand. Scythe smirked, bringing his free, right hand back and throwing it forward, unleashing a blast at his opponent. A blue blast of fire flew at Gohan, threatening to roast him alive. The young Saiyan retaliated, holding his right hand up and producing a powerful, golden ki blast. He fired it at point blank range, the fire and ki attacks reacting and going up in a megaton explosion, but effectively not harming anyone.

Gohan emerged from the cloud of smoke, teeth gritted and slightly bruised. He growled and glanced to his right, seeing Scythe appear right there and slash at his head. The young Saiyan was quick to act, easily dropping from the skies, and landing on a flat, mountain top with his sword still held defensively. Glaring up, he watched his opponent take a dive, flying through the air and pulling up into a charge. Scythe landed on the flat ground too, sprinting forward for a few meters before leaping at Gohan, lashing out with a sound, quick strike. Gohan leapt back, at the same time blocking the attack and landing in an offensive stance. He growled, leaping forward, and slashing out at Scythe, who blurred out and reappeared at his left. Gohan quickly blocked an overhead strike, and several more slash attacks before lashing out as a counter measure, driving his opponent back. The long, black haired warrior back flipped, landing again and bringing his right hand back and throwing it forward, as if bowling. Just then, after a brief earth tremor, black ore like crystals shot out of the ground, Gohan back flipping to avoid the pillars of dangerous crystals. He recognized it similar to his _Shine Strike_ attack, and new its limitations. Landing against a cliff wall behind him as the mountain continued to progress upwards, the young Saiyan pushed off, leaping over the crystals and landing behind Scythe standing on the other side. Spinning around, he slashed out at the warrior, having his blows countered by Scythe's quick attacks. With the clashes of metal, sparks flew, and Gohan forcing the dark haired spirit back with his quick assault. Hard pressing, he aimed a strike at his mid-section, only for Scythe to leap into the air and float back. Gohan growled and threw his right hand at him, unleashing a golden ki blast. The blast ripped through the air, Scythe avoiding it before flying at Gohan in kind. The young Saiyan charged as well, both of them locking into a grappling match in a loud clang of metal.

Scythe grinned at him, raising an eyebrow as he forced Gohan back. "Oh…where did you find this strength," he asked curiously. The young Saiyan growled and forced him back, starting to gain an upper hand over his opponent.

"I'm not about to tell you!" With a yell, Gohan pushed Scythe off of him and slashed out, the warrior back flipping and coming to float at a safe distance away from his opponent. It was just then the dark haired fighter decided to power up at last, transforming at the same time. Finding that he would never be able to break this dead lock with his opponent, he prompted for a change. In an extraordinary show of power, a red aura surrounded by black electricity exploded around him, his form taking a new turn. Although his outfit remained the same, his muscles increased to the extent of that of a Super Saiyan, and his hair turned white before Gohan's eyes. His once yellow eyes now turned blue, but the red cycles and outlines of his eyes stayed red. Smirking, he raised his saber, the Dark Blade shining in the light of his aura.

"You're not the only one who can transform, young Echo!" he exclaimed, leaping back through the air and bringing his sword around. He then slashed out, unleashing a energy slash through the air. It streaked towards Gohan, the young Saiyan leaping off of the ground to avoid it. The attack cut straight through the mountain, taking off a huge chunk.

Scythe smirked, slashing out three more times, forcing the young Saiyan to avoid all of them as they were too difficult to block. After avoiding them several more times, Gohan powered up and charged. With a yell of anger, he appeared in front of his opponent and slashed at him with his sword in a powerful strike. Scythe, still smirking, held up his sword and blocked it, but was knocked backwards into the mountain at the force displayed, his aura dying out. He went straight through the mountain, emerging on the other side. Gohan pursued him, powering up and charging, going straight through the hole Scythe had made. When he emerged on the other side, he floated there, looking around and out onto the wide open spaces of mountain landscapes. Suddenly, he heard a rumbling sound and looked up, seeing a massive boulder, about the size of a house, coming straight down at him. He assumed Scythe must have taken off the very tip of the mountain as an attack. Growling, Gohan flew out of the way, barely avoiding it. The massive chunk of rock and stone plummeted right past him, heading for the ground hundreds of meters below.

It was then, emerging from the trailing cloud of dust the falling boulder left behind, Scythe appeared. He lashed out at Gohan, the young Saiyan blocking his overhead, opening strike and the other following attacks. Then, batting his sword out of the way, Gohan came at him in an overhead strike, the warrior flashing into super speed and his blade passing through thin air. At the same time, an energy slash shot forth from his sword, striking the mountain in front of him and carving a nice mark in it. Growling he brought his sword back up and spun it in his grip, taking another stance. It was then, without warning, Scythe appeared right above him, sword held back his head. Gohan reacted just in time to block the overhead strike, a shockwave occurring from the clanging swords. Gohan growled, unable to force him off this time. So, taking evasive maneuvers, he leapt back, avoiding his opponent's blade before dropping into a defensive stance. Scythe smirked, bringing his sword up in one hand and changing his grip. With a burst of speed, he shot forward, lashing out at him and driving Gohan back through the air. More clashes of blades occurred accompanied by further shockwaves of explosive force emitted by each attack. The young Saiyan was incapable of countering his opponent's attacks, or holding off his assault for very long due to Scythe's new power increase. It was after a particular strike he leapt back, using a flight retreat to put distance in between the two of them.

Stopping at the very face of a rocky mountain, he took a stance, watching as Scythe charged at him. In a flash, the fighter appeared in front of Gohan and struck out at him, Gohan performing a back flip over his strike before coming down, bringing his sword down in a falling stab. Scythe pulled back quickly, spinning around on the spot and sending his blade at him, Gohan blocked it, sparks flying and a shockwave occurring. The white haired fighter grinned before driving forward with his hand and the side of his blade, knocking Gohan backed into the mountain. The young Saiyan suddenly found himself imprinted in the side, arms sprayed out. It was then Scythe leapt back, bringing his sword around into the correct position. With his stance set, he slashed out, unleashing an energy slash barrage at his target. With Gohan pinned up, it seemed impossible for him to avoid them. But then, the young Saiyan managed to yank himself out at the last moment and, bringing his sword about, it turned into the Angel Blade, lightning shooting out of it upon the blade's transformation. Just as the energy strikes were upon him, Gohan lashed out, striking each energy slash at shattering them, their momentum and strengths useless. Scythe hunched an eyebrow, impressed.

Twirling his sword in his hand, Gohan then sheathed it. Fisting his hands at his sides, Gohan concentrated hard, his expression still angered and serious. Then, all at once, the young Saiyan brought his arms up and powered up to full, letting out a bellowing yell as a golden aura exploded around him, accompanied by golden bolts of lightning and a radioactive, golden glow. His hair spiked up and flashed gold, and his eyes turned teal. The blasts of wind that issued off of him weren't enough to knock Scythe over, but were definitely enough to surprise him. When Gohan brought his arms back down and his aura was reduced to a steady pulse, the young Saiyan drew his sword once more, and from it, he mustered up a new form. To accompany his Super Saiyan powers, his blade increased in size, forming a hook at its base with its point sharpened. The handle guard lengthened, twisting at the ends with the actual handle also increasing in length. Once it was changed, Gohan was holding onto what was known as the _Lightning Blade._ This exceptionally powerful sword crackled with golden electricity, capable of unleashing incredible aerial strikes with deadly effects and increasing the wielder's strength in them as well.

Scythe smirked, backing away as he watched his opponent drop into a stance, aura still pulsing around him. The look definitely suited the young warrior, but with this new transformation, was he actually capable of beating Scythe now? That was soon to be tested. With a grin, the white haired warrior took his sword up in two hands and charged, striking out at Gohan with powered lashes. His sword blade zipped through the air at incredible speeds, Gohan easily repelling his attacks with a serious, monotone expression in play. It was after blocking off the attacks sent at him the young Saiyan batted at Scythe's final strike and pointed the tip of his sword at him, unleashing a powerful blast of electricity. The blast practically knocked Scythe off of his feet, and sent him flying into the distance, electrocuted. He emitted no yell of agony, but was clearly in pain. Taking a stance, Gohan charged at him, bringing his sword about before striking at hi flying body. The dark warrior, still seeing clearly enough to spot Gohan's approach, raised his sword and began blocking the many strikes sent at him. Now, with both competitors back in the game and flying in a random direction while locked in extreme combat, they engaged blades. Clanging sounds and shockwave rang out, both fighters now standing on what appeared to be even ground. Scythe chuckled, assaulting Gohan's blade with full on fury, only to do no effect as the young Saiyan blocked every strike. The Super Saiyan responded in kind, attacking Scythe but to no avail. Soon enough, the two of them reached a dead end after flying through the sky, nearly running into a mountain side.

Stopping and flipping, Gohan landed on his feet against the mountain, dropping to a stance. Scythe did so the same way, both of them standing at impossible angels to the ground. From here, they began to attack. Gohan honed in on his assault, forcing Scythe back with quick, powerful strikes, his blade clashing with the warrior's saber and emitting a lot of spars, and not just from the electricity his sword produced. As they fought across the mountain's rocky, uneven face, Gohan managed to drive his opponent away, Scythe leaping back and ending up on a higher level of the mountain. With both of them still standing on its side, the white haired warrior smirked down at Gohan, the young Saiyan still looking as serious as ever, while standing in his warping aura.

"On your knees," Scythe exclaimed. "I want you to beg for mercy…"

Bringing his right hand up, the spirit threw it down, an earth shaking rumble following this move. Then, as the tremor ran up the mountain side, a huge section of it suddenly collapsed at the very top, cracking and suddenly tumbling down as a massive of falling rubble and debris. Gohan saw this, and was a bit surprised by this move. It came plummeting down fast, Scythe turning around to face it. Bringing his sword about, he slashed out at a large piece coming for him, before leaping into the plummeting rubble's centre. Gohan followed him, lightning blade still held strong as he jumped into the falling debris, avoiding massive boulders and rocks. Changing tactics from flight to land fall, Gohan began leaping from boulder to boulder, making best use of the avalanche to pursue his opponent. Suddenly appearing out from behind one of the falling rocks, Scythe flew at Gohan with his sword bared. The young Saiyan blocked his following strikes, jumping back and landing on a flat surface rock. After which, he jumped off of the falling boulder, sending a single, slash aimed for his opponent who he charged at. Scythe blocked it, striking back as Gohan flew past. He missed. Gohan landed on another rock behind him, pushing off and flying back. Scythe landed on another boulder, finding this one tumbling out of control the hard way. Redirecting his sights, he leapt out of the way, avoiding a slash attack sent by his opponent. Then, after landing on another rock, he flew at his opponent, cranking his sword arm back and preparing to strike. Gohan leapt at him in kind, both of them striking out at each other, metal clanging on metal for that split second before they both flew on past, landing on separate boulders again. They then pushed off and flew at each other, locking blades in the centre of the avalanche falling around them. Dropping with the falling boulders, they landed on a large, flat faced boulder and began furiously attacking each other. They exchanged strikes and slashes, their swords clanging together and letting off bright sparks as a result. Avoiding the falling rocks and basically ignoring them, they continued attack, trying to put their opponent under pressure at which they could attack and inflict damage on them, permanently.

After blocking an assault from his opponent, Gohan moved to attack, slashing out at Scythe and forcing him back. The white haired warrior found it a lot more difficult to block the young Saiyan's strikes, and backed away along the boulder, before leaping off of it and out of the avalanche. Gohan frowned and followed him, bursting out of the tons of falling rumble and out into clear skies. Here, he followed his opponent, watching him float up and away with his sword held firmly in his right hand and a smirk streaking across his face.

"You're a fine specimen, Echo. I'll give you that," Scythe exclaimed, bringing his sword up into two hands. His eyes flashed and flared, a grin crossing his face. "Too bad you have to die…"

Gohan frowned, expression still serious. It was then after Scythe's comment the young warrior drew his sword back, golden electricity crackling around its blade as he held his left hand forward. After he took that attack stance, his aura, which had died out during the battle in the avalanche, suddenly exploded around him, bursting with a flash of light. As the two warriors continued to climb to a higher altitude amongst the surrounding mountains, already reaching the caps of most, the young Super Saiyan prepared to end this fight once and for all. His teal eyes flickered as his aura burned and flared, energy climbing. Sunlight began to break through the thick, grey cloud cover, creating the perfect scene for these last few minutes of the battle…

"I pity you," Gohan stated. "You have no idea what you're up against…" Scythe raised an eyebrow, smiling as he brought his sword about and pointed the tip of the blade towards his opponent, his attack stance assumed.

It was right there, at that very moment, Gohan acted. With great speed and great aim, Gohan threw his sword forward, the weapon acting as a boomerang and spinning as the young Saiyan threw it at Scythe. The spinning _Lightning Blade_ curved through the air, passing Scythe who was just acting to avoid it. He stared after it, watching as it flew past and above him. Suddenly, too distracted to notice, Scythe saw Gohan appear in front of his flying sword, and catch it with great ease. The white haired warrior was shocked, gasping as a result. Gripping the sword in two hands, Gohan brought it up above his head, letting out a warrior's cry as he flew straight down at his opponent, aura burning brightly. The speed he used, and the surprise he was able to create, gave the young Saiyan the opportunity to attack. In that split second, too long for Scythe to react, Gohan drove his weapon straight down at his target, following threw with it. Golden electricity crackled around his weapon as he sent it through the dark spirit warrior, Scythe letting out a yell of agony upon being hit. He staggered, eyes widened.

It was over for him…

Gohan flew past, landing on top the plateau of a mountain stationed not too far below. With a sigh, the young Saiyan stood up, rays of sunlight landing on his spot on top of the rocky structure, lighting him up. With a breath of air, he powered down to base form, his sword averting back to its original Spirit Blade state as he sheathed the weapon on his back. When he lowered his arms back to his sides, a cool breeze blew past him, his clothes fluttering in the wind and hair ruffling gently. He smirked, glancing over his shoulder and up at his staggered opponent. Forty-five stories above him, Gohan saw Scythe floating there in a standing posture, bathed in the bright light of the sun and glaring back down at him. His sword was still in plain view.

It was after spotting him, Gohan spoke. "Stay the hell away from me…"

Scythe frowned, eyes flashing. "You know you can't keep me away forever," he stated in response. "The darkness in your past will keep calling me back…"

Gohan smirked. "Then better luck next time, Scythe…"

The white haired warrior smiled, his cape wrapping around him and hiding his form. Then, all at once, Scythe transformed into a mist, a mist that slowly dissipated and transformed back into the red ball of energy he once was. The energy ball flickered and flashed where it floated; suspended in mid-air for a few more seconds before suddenly taking off into the distance, like the dragon balls leaving the scene after Shenron had been summoned and all wishes were granted. Seconds later, the red speck of light disappeared onto the horizon.

Gohan didn't bother going after him, knowing that the next time they meet he'll definitely beat him. But all the while, the young Saiyan couldn't help but think that trouble always seemed to find him back here on earth…

Just one of the reasons he decided to leave when he supposedly died at the Cell Games…

To protect his loved ones…

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_

****

* * *

_**Power levels:**_

**(Battle with Scythe):**

**Scythe:**

Scythe (Base-Full Power): 200,000,000

Scythe (Darkness Stream): 350,000,000

**Gohan:**

Gohan (Base-Full Power): 180,000,000

Gohan (Super Saiyan): 360,000,000

Gohan (Super Saiyan – Full Power _Mystical Dragon Fist Flash_): 400,000,000


	46. High School

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_High School_

A year later, things were still going on pretty smoothly. The lives of the Son family couldn't be any better, peace continued to rain over the entire planet and since Scythe's defeat Gohan hasn't been bothered by a single villain. The young Saiyan was easily assured that Frieza, Cooler, Cell and all the other villains were finally put to rest, and wouldn't be showing up anytime soon until their next incarnations. He was happy, and so was everyone else. However, there was still something missing…

Coming into the beginning of the seventh year since the Cell Games, the young Saiyan was 18, and Gohan felt he needed to get some more outdoor experience in the city with people his own age. Sure hanging out with the Z-fighters was a big kick, but the fact that he never socialized or gone to any proper school to make other friends, sort of got to him. He was also looking forward to finding a mate, an issue still battling out in his mind. It was after one of his training sessions with his younger brother he was approached by his mother, Chi-Chi saying that maybe he should enroll in a nearby high school before it was too late. Not in any mood to decline, he accepted, with Chi-Chi signing him up to the closest high school possible. As it turns out, _Orange Star High School_ in neighboring _Satan City_ was the perfect place, and Gohan was accepted there from high scores on his entry papers. When he got his positive reply, he couldn't wait to get started…

* * *

_**The following day…**_

It was morning, and Chi-Chi was busy sweeping the front steps of the house, smiling to herself as she swept away the stray dirt. Now some people may be wondering why she would be working on the outside at this time? Well, round about now she should be seeing to Goku and Goten's breakfast, but the truth was that she wanted to see her eldest son off. Glancing down at her watch, she sighed and furrowed her brow, broom propped up against her shoulder.

"What's keeping that boy?" she queried. "Gohan's never this late to get started…"

Just then, she heard the door over at her son's house open, and glanced across their yards. Over the short hedge, emerging from the front entrance, the Son mother saw the spiky haired teen step out and close the door behind him. Humming to himself, the young Saiyan hopped off the front steps and down the path to the gate. Chi-Chi smiled when she saw her son appear, all up and running for the day ahead, and was indeed surprised at his choice of attire he emerged in. Today, instead of his new fighting gi, he wore a totally new outfit, consisting of: dark brown trousers with black sport shoes and leather cuffs around the ankles to stop any spraining, a white T-shirt and a leather jacket with long sleeves. He also wore dark brown, fingerless gloves, a brown belt as well as a secondary one that was mostly for utility purposes, and his blue, crystal pendant. Like said, he never took it off. Strangely enough, aside from the bag of books he had slung around his left arm, Gohan was also carrying a guitar case with him, and Chi-Chi didn't know what to think.

As soon as Gohan reached the gate, Chi-Chi walked over to the hedge and called over to him. "Good morning, Gohan!" the Son mother called, catching the young Saiyan's attention. "Hope you enjoy your first day of high school!" The spiky haired warrior grinned and waved to her in kind.

"Morning mom!" the young warrior replied in kind, smiling brightly. "Oh…yeah…and thanks. I'll be back as soon as the day is through!"

Chi-Chi nodded, still smiling. "Sure thing, son," she said in response. "You can tell me all about it when you get back. Remember, you promised you'd have a play day with Goten today."

Gohan chuckled and nodded affirmatively. "Right…" It was then Chi-Chi took further note of the guitar case he was carrying. Throwing her gaze at the thing flung up on his back, she raised an eyebrow before looking back up at her son's friendly gaze.

"By the way son, what's with the guitar case?" the mother asked. "I didn't know you played the guitar…" Gohan glanced back at the pack he was carrying, a bit surprised. He then smiled and glanced back at his mother.

"Oh no, it's not a guitar mom, it's my sword. I need to keep it hidden somewhere," he said. Chi-Chi was a little bewildered at finding out what it really was and dropped her broom. Okay, now was the time to freak out.

"WHAT?!" she cried. "Gohan you can get into serious trouble carrying that thing around! What if somebody finds out, you could get expelled on the first day!" Gohan chuckled and waved a hand at her.

"Don't worry, mom. I'll keep it on my person at all times. No one will suspect a thing. Besides," he said, expression turning serious a bit, yet he still wore that smile of his. "I'm bringing it with me for a good reason. It's just in case some otherworldly being wants to give me some trouble," the young Saiyan stated. He knew exactly who he was talking about, but didn't want to bring it up for fear of having his mother worry too much. He would kick himself if he spilled all the beans.

His mother, though still a bit skeptical of the situation, nodded and smiled. "Well, okay…just…don't go waving that around too much. People can get very nervous around people with big knives and stuff. Be careful, son," Chi-Chi said. Gohan nodded, smiling at his mother while saluting to her.

"Alright…I'm off then…"

"Remember Gohan: listen to your teachers and work hard now," Chi-Chi stated, nodding to him to get her point across. "Also, I'm expecting you to bring home a nice lady friend and grand children. Don't blow this." Gohan chuckled, turning on his heel and beginning to walk down the dirt path, away from the two houses.

"Hey, since when have I ever blown it with a girl?" he exclaimed, passing on one last wave before sprinting forward. His mother waved back as she watched her son run off into the distance, sighing and hoping for the best. Gohan smirked, reaching the end of his run and pushing off the ground. In a shockwave of force and a gale of wind, the young Saiyan flew off into the distance, disappearing over the horizon in record time. Heck, he didn't even power up to reach those speeds, no aura nothing. He was one hell of a warrior!

Chi-Chi smirked, placing her hands on her hips while staring off in the direction Gohan had flown off in. Her mind was working away, processing her thoughts. _"It won't be too long. Girls will be falling before him the second they look at him…"_

* * *

_**A couple minutes later…**_

_**Satan City Bank…**_

Gunfire suddenly went up around this city block, people's screams flooding out from a nearby building and echoing down the district. Just like the gunfire, the commotion that has started up was loud and shocking. Citizens out on the street outside said building took cover, running for their lives while they still could. But what events were taking place that could cause such a racket? The answer, a band of crooks that have recently planned a bank robbery of this area, meaning that the building the gunfire and screams were echoing out of was a bank!

Built beside a main crossroad a couple of miles out from the centre of the city, the bank in question was actually _Satan City Bank_, the largest and perhaps one of the most secure vaults out of all the district banks. It sat in a vastly populated area not far out from a shopping centre, which explained the loads of people walking around. But because it was a school day, it meant that a majority group of young people were absent at the time. This posed the perfect opportunity for this heist. With security at a low and polices' scheduled routes taken many blocks away, the band of robbers struck, hard and fast. Entering the parliament-designed bank opposed by only a couple of security guards they easily disarmed and downed the group of 10 bandits overran the desks and checkouts before any of the staff could push the alarm switch.

This group was just your common criminal element, dressed in casual clothes and wearing masks to cover up their identities. They were also heavily armed with illegal weapons, reserved only for law enforcers and the army. However, people can easily underestimate the power the mafia, mercenary and criminals groups could possess, even those who hang out in back alley ways and dark tunnels. The real problem here was that they were really organized, having watched the bank for many weeks before making their move today. Outside of the bank, double-parked on the road, a small group of 4 bandits stood, waving their guns around to ward off approaching people. The rest of the group was inside, making off with whatever cash and goods they could get their slimy hands on. They had to move fast before any cop cars showed up.

Inside the bank, it was all mayhem. Whilst three of the six guys were loading up bags full of cash and valuable minerals such as diamonds, sapphires, rubies, gem stones etc. from the vault and desks, another two stood watch over their security guard prisoners and another oversaw the operation, making sure no one else tried something funny. The security guys, dressed in khaki uniforms, knelt with their backs turned to the thugs, hands on their heads and looking quite disheveled. The _Satan City Bank _staff, as well as several other citizens caught up in the middle of this heist, were lying around on the ground, a couple of the bank runners forced to gather the money from the vaults for the three bandits on duty. Everyone was fearful for their lives, and didn't know what to do. The 4 security guards under watch however, were trying to resolve this situation themselves.

"If only…I…can reach…my…utility…belt," one of the guards hissed to himself, eyes wide and looking nervous. One of the bandits behind him close enough to hear growled and stepped forward, jabbing the muzzle of his weapon into his back. He prodded the security guard hostage in the back with his weapon, pushing him forward a bit more.

"Shut up!" he yelled, loading his M16 threateningly. "No sass! Another word and I blow your head off!" The guy kept quiet, sweating nervously while his back throbbed with pain where the barrel of the gun was jabbed.

The bandit stepped back, turning to his comrade and nodding to him. The guy nodded back, raising his Franchi Spas Shot Gun a bit more and loading it. Holding their weapons into firmer grips, they stepped back a bit more, keeping closer eyes on their hostages. The security personal of course, could do nothing.

"Hurry it up already, boys!" the robber at the door shouted, an M60 support-gun held firmly in his hands. The man wore jeans, a black T-shirt and a whole mass of utility belts, most of them made up of chains of bullets with a shoulder holstered Colt .45 at his side. He looked to be the leader of this party. "The police will be arriving any minute! Just grab the loot and let's get out of here!"

"Right boss!" one of the bandits over at the desk called back, grabbing a couple more huge wads of cash and stashing it into his already filled bag. Picking up the backpack and the gym bag filled with money, the man stood up and walked round the cashier. He headed towards the door, an AK 47 slung round his back.

A second man, this one armed with a Primary Uzi 9 mm and two other compact Uzi's, walked round from the large vault at the back of the bank. With a huge back pack and two gym bags in tow, all of them filled to the brims with stolen goods, he stormed over to the door, rounding terrified staff workers and people lying on the ground. Reaching the head of this operation, he nodded to him and dashed out onto the street where their pick up was waiting. A third man finally came out from the depths of the building, this one carrying a filled up gym bag and was carrying a backpack. Wearing a sort of riot uniform and was pretty big, the guy was armed with a mini-gun, the chain fed weapon bared menacingly. Once he was in plain sight, he walked over to the door and took up a defensive position, looking back towards the bank with his weapon drawn.

The leader, glancing over at the other two bandits watching over the security personnel, nodded to them and told them to wrap it up. The robbers did as they were told and, grabbing the elastic cords held at their disposal, tied up the security guards at the wrists and ankles, so that they didn't get up. Then, stacking the security guards out separately, the pair collected whatever they came for and scampered out, the leader smirking with satisfaction. Together, he, and his crony with the mini-gun backed out slowly, weapons bared.

"Thank you all for your cooperation," the man exclaimed. "I would love to stick around and chat, but nature calls. Tah!" he shouted, loading his weapon and pulling the trigger. Aiming up at the wall safely above the heads of their hostages, he opened fire, painting the wall in a new type of color, poker-dot-lead. This gunfire rang out for a few seconds before he stopped, exiting with his fellow ally, leaving the staff and people quivering in fear where they lay.

As the leader exited the bank, he took in a breath of fresh air and sighed. "Man, I love this city…"

* * *

_**Meanwhile…**_

Gohan had landed not too far away from his school, just a dozen or so blocks away somewhere around a back ally out of the publics eye. With his speed, he would be able to make it there at least half an hour before the first bell rang. That was way too early for his liking. So along the way to Orange Star High School, he decided to stop off at a restaurant and buy himself an iced-coffee. This particular beverage had become his favorite dessert and drink. When home made mixed with ice-cream, whipped cream and a pinch of chocolate, it was delicious. It was from this particular place he was able to purchase such a drink, and figured he would pay a visit there later in the future. Anyway, he got it take away so at the moment, he was walking to at a steady pace to school, iced-coffee in hand and a smile on his face.

Taking a sip through a straw, he sighed and looked around, seeing people walking on both this footpath and on the one on the other side of the road. The citizens of this peaceful city were all carrying about their business, shops from left to right opening and everyone just plain enjoying their time. Well, Gohan was certainly enjoying the day as well, and was looking forward to his first day of school. He glanced down at his watch, taking note of the number and nodding.

"Yeah…right on schedule," the young Saiyan whispered to himself, smirking. At the same time, two girls walked by him, checking out the hot young male as he trekked on past them. After getting a good look at the handsome stranger, and receiving a nod from him and a friendly smile, both girls giggled. They watched him walk away, both of them blushing slightly. Gohan easily noticed this through his well toned eyes, and just smiled.

Drinking through his straw again, the young Saiyan continued on, taking a shortcut down a less busy road to avoid heavy people traffic. The sounds of distant police sirens reached his ears upon turning down this road, but he thought nothing of it and just walked on. As he was so engrossed in following mentally drawn directions in his head, he was completely oblivious to the stares passed on to him by more girls he passed along the way. It was after making his way down towards a crossroad he suddenly caught something on the wind.

His ears perking up, the young Saiyan glanced around, stopping at the corner of the crossroad he walked into. Turning down the left road towards the sounds of gunfire and screaming, he saw to his shock a black four-wheel drive and a purple Ute parked outside of a large, marble made building, men dressed in casuals, wearing masks and armed with guns opening fire. They blazed their fire across the streets, as well as the police car parked some distance away. Stepping back a bit, Gohan narrowed his eyes on the sight, looking around more overly to get a picture of what was happening. Okay, so he noted the bandits and their vehicles, as well as the police car with its crew ducking for cover behind it, but there were also people running around, terrified. There were a couple of citizens ducking and hiding behind trees and buildings, watching the sight, horror struck. Many others were lying around, unable to move for fear of being hit by the flying bullets.

It was like a bloody war zone. The police and the bandits were exchanging fire, with the police cruiser being the only critically damaged thing to be seen. The law enforcement officers weren't landing any shots on their targets whatsoever. The bank robbers had them out gunned and out smarted by five to one. It was a disaster, especially for the policemen. As the gun fire continued, the bandits mounted on their vehicles and on the ground hollered loudly as they landed more rounds on their targets. All ten of them were practically pouring it on, the leader with the M60 hammering at the vehicles while the guy with the mini-gun ripped it apart. It wouldn't be long till the police men got hit.

Gohan frowned, putting his ice-coffee down as well as his bag. "Man…another batch of crooks. It never ends," he said with a disappointed sigh. He glanced around him, making sure nobody was looking in his direction. "Guess I'll have to assume a disguise so that no one will recognize me. A touch of my gi and some blonde hair will do the trick…" Smirking, he turned back towards the scene and effortlessly powered up. In a flash of light, his present outfit shifted to his Blind Bandit outfit he used in the final match against Goku, the black trench coat, trousers, turtleneck, boots and glove taking shape. To add to this, his hair also flashed blonde, eyes teal and shining brightly. His expression became serious the moment he assumed his Super Saiyan form, the warrior glancing around again to check if anybody was looking.

Assured that no one had seen him transform, the young Saiyan reached back, taking off the guitar case and at the same time drawing his sword. Throwing it outwards, the belt and sheath appeared, strapping itself tightly around him before he sheathed the deadly weapon. Then, leaping forward, Gohan flashed into super speed, heading straight into battle.

The crazy gunmen that had held up the bank laughed loudly, continuing to blaze away at their present target. The police car soon became a mangled wreck right before their very eyes, shaking under the bombardment of heavy rounds. If it was to take any more, then it was sure to explode. The police men knew they had to act soon, and fast! But because the bullets kept on coming, the two couldn't do anything without getting shot.

The leader of the group chuckled, reloading his M60 before redirecting it at the police vehicle. Clambering onto the back of their Ute, he opened fire again, empty shells expelling and littering the ground to join the rest of the spent ammo already used. The leader laughed loudly, encouraging on this terrible act.

"Yeah! That's right!" he shouted over the gun fire. "You just try and stop us!!!"

Suddenly, just as the man continued to pour rounds onto the police vehicle, he was hit by what he thought was a car before blanking out. He was staggered back, a knee imprint dug into the left side of his face as he fell over, M60 falling out of his hands. Then, whatever hit him also hit the guy that was also standing on the back of the Ute, the man with the shot gun getting a taste of a powerful left kick sent at the back of his head. The guy let out a yell of shock as he was thrown forward, knocked out before he even hit the ground. The bandits immediately stopped firing, all of them gasping in shock as they looked in the direction of their unknown attacker.

When they looked towards the back of the Ute, they saw a man in blonde hair, dressed in black and armed with a sword, land solidly on the ground, spinning around and sending a right, side kick at the bandit standing behind him. The masked robber was just raising his MP5 up at his target before he was struck clean in the face. The blow, tremendous for human capacities, sent the man flying back, hitting the stairs behind him where he lay in an unconscious heap, face badly bruised and nose bleeding.

Swifter then they could react, the man who had already taken out three of the bandits, performed a major back flip. He leapt back through the air, landing on the bonnet of the purple Ute with a shaking thud, crouching their like a tiger and glaring through the front window at the two bandits sitting inside. The robbers freaked out, the man in the passenger seat pulling out his pistol, hands shaking. Just then, the blonde haired warrior suddenly reached up for his sword and, in one swift action, he sliced it across at the car's main driver's compartment. In a blue flash, he struck out and then sheathed his sword, just as the roof of the Ute flew off. The attack had cleanly cut right above the heads of the bandits. The two men in the vehicle were shocked beyond belief.

Before any of them could act, their attacker reached forward and grabbed them by their collars, pulling them up and snapping the seatbelts strapped around them. Without any effort whatsoever, the spiky haired, blonde warrior stood up and spun around, throwing the guy he held in his left hand at one of the bandit's posted at the side of the four-wheel drive parked in front of the Ute. The bandit projectile hit its target, the two men falling back to the ground hard, both of them badly bruised and unconscious. Standing behind the two crumpled men, another bandit decided to take a shot, bringing up his AK 47 and loading it. But before he could open fire, he got hit full on by the other man the blonde haired warrior was holding, both of them falling to the ground in an unconscious heap just as the other two guys. Things really weren't looking up to them. Seven down: three more to go.

Just then, rushing out from the other side of the four-wheel drive, the big man with the mini-gun appeared. Spotting the blonde haired attacker still standing on the bonnet of the Ute, he brought his weapon to bear on him. With a yell of rage, the mini-gun opened fire, pouring rounds onto the unafraid young warrior. Quickly, using reflexes and strength beyond that of a human, the young warrior leapt into the air and back flipped, the Ute he was once standing on being torn up by heavy fire from the chain gun weapon. The massively built bandit stepped back, unable to swivel his weapon to follow his target but followed him with his eyes. The mysterious fighter landed behind him and stood up. Quickly, with amazing speeds, the warrior jumped and spun around, sending a right round house kick at the big bandit's head. The powerful kick staggered him, knocking him out and into the side of the four-wheel-drive. Crashing into the side of it, the force shook the vehicle as he crumpled to the ground, gun dropped beside him.

After resuming a regular standing position, the warrior glanced to his right to see another bandit get out of the drivers seat of the black four-wheel-drive. The man dropped to the ground in front of him, a machete drawn and a grin on his face. He circled around the young warrior, gesturing towards him to bring on a fight. Gohan remained monotone, expression serious and unchanged as the man before him sneered.

"Come on wonder boy!" the man cracked. "Think you can take me with that toy sword of yours! You ain't so tough!"

Gohan was unfazed; however he did feel a need to retaliate to the man's passing of an offense towards his spiritual weapon. So, he decided to settle this. Reaching back, the young Saiyan drew his sword with his right hand, throwing it up and then to his side. The weapon shone, flashing a light that blind sighted the bandit opposing him. When that flash died, the man looked back, seeing light blotches before his eyes flew open in shock when his vision cleared and he was able to see his attacker. Now, held in the grip of the blonde warrior, the robber saw he was now wielding a massive sword with an unbelievably huge blade that looked as heavy as it was deadly. The sword, now tripled in size and about a foot longer in length than the wielding warrior was in height, shocked the robber into retreat, the man backing away, eyes widened. To protect the weapon from damage, it was wrapped in a thin layer of gauze, tied at the base to fasten it. Around this time, people who were at the scene were finally coming out of hiding, and were gazing in bewilderment at what was taking place right before their very eyes.

"Who's that?" a man dressed in a blue suit and looking to be around his 80's blurted out.

"I don't know," another, young woman replied. "But boy, does he have guts!"

Bringing his sword up and around, the spiky haired warrior took a stance, blade held behind him and left arm lowered to his side. With his eyes locked onto his next target, he watched as the bandit in question backed away, stammering and trembling in fear. Suddenly, after making a brief observation, Gohan sliced out with his sword, aiming for the knife in the man's hand. He sliced the machete's blade clean in two, the bandit gasping and dropping his weapon. Then, in one swift move, the young Saiyan stepped forward and spun into the man's range, elbowing him with his left arm when he closed the gap. The blow winded the unfortunate bandit, knocking him flying back and to the ground. He skidded to a stop, unconscious.

Just then, the last bandit inside of the four-wheel-drive in the passenger seat, who had just witnessed the whole thing, freaked out. Leaping out of the vehicle, he sprinted off down the road, Gohan turning in the direction of the retreating criminal. Seeing the guy trying to break for it, the young Saiyan grunted in disgust and shifted his right foot slight, sending his energy into the ground. A split second after he did that, a wall of strong diamond crystals shot out of the road right in front of the retreating bandit. The man was unable to stop himself, and ran right into the wall, slamming face and front first. After that, he fell back freely, crashing to the ground with a broken nose and a bruised face. Then, the wall of crystals sunk back into the road, disappearing.

The people surrounding the area were awestruck. In just a few seconds, all done within a minute, the battle was over, and the gang of bandits was left defeated…or unconscious. The staff and citizens that were held hostage inside of the bank emerged, all badly shaken. They were joined on the scene by other people emerging from their hiding places on the road, all of them staring with wide eyes, mouths hanging open.

"Amazing!" the elderly man exclaimed. It was then he began looking around the scene, still looking shocked. It then came to the realization of him and the rest of the crowds that the man responsible for this was no longer here. The blonde haired fighter had vanished. "What the? W-where'd he go!?"

The cops, who were also aware of the gang's defeat, stepped out from behind their ruined vehicle and looked over the scene. In their safety checks, the pair saw the unconscious bandits, the wrecked cars, and the damage to the street. However, they saw no one else on the scene, not even the brave soul responsible for this. Still overrun with shock, the two cops could only muster up one suitable question matching this and their own states.

"Hey…did…we do that?" the cop on the right asked. His partner shrugged, and walked forward to inspect the wreckages…

* * *

Collecting his bags from behind the building, and sheathing his sword at the same back into the guitar case, Gohan stood up. Powered down and now back into the uniform he was wearing to school, the young Saiyan smirked. Picking up the iced-coffee he had left, he took a long sip and sighed in satisfaction. There was nothing like a cool drink after a sore fight like that one; the bandits never stood a chance. It was some pretty poor effort made by those guys, Gohan had to admit; he didn't even have to lift his power grade over 50. Anyway, after a moment's thought, he stepped out into the open, taking one last glance at the scene before moving along…

As Gohan slipped away in the background, the police officers that had participated in this terrifying ordeal were busy rounding up the unconscious bodies of the bandits, putting them in cuffs before propping them up against the side of the relatively undamaged four-wheel-drive. The head sergeant rubbed the back of his head, looking on with surprise while the corporal made sure all of them were still alive. It was kind of shocking to them, the bandits all appeared dead to them.

"Man, this is all messed up," the sergeant said, placing his hands on his hips. "How can one guy do all this? (Whistles)…Hey!" he nudged the corporal in the side. "Didn't you see that Gold Fighter character? Man, take away my map and call me lost, I never even saw it coming…" His partner nodded, raising an eyebrow down at the ten unconscious bodies.

"Me neither. And I tell you, these guys really took a beating," the corporal replied.

"You mean single blows," a sudden, feminine voice said beside them. The two police men glanced to their left, seeing a familiar girl with raven black hair tied up in pigtails, and wearing a white T-shirt and black bicycle shorts, standing beside them. The girl walked up to the bodies, gazing down cat them seriously for a moment before kneeling in front of what she took it as the leader and checked his wound. The cops were none to say relieved.

"Oh, Miss Satan," the sergeant exclaimed. "Thank goodness it's you. Hey, we're like two sheep left out in an open field, we have no idea what the hell just happened," he stated. The corporal nodded affirmatively, tipping the visor of his police cap and taking in a deep intake of breath, shaking his head. At the same time, Videl checked the pressure applied to the blow the man suffered, raising an eyebrow in interest.

"Yeah, some guy with spiky hair just busted into this rumble and took out all these guys single-handedly!" the sergeant's partner said, mind all a whirl. "He stood up to them all, easily knocking them all out! These guys, I tell yah. They're lucky the guy showed them mercy, it looks like they've taken a lot of hits…"

Videl shook her head, standing up and placing her fists on her hips. "No, they didn't take as many blows as you suggest, corporal," the girl replied, attracting the attention of both police officers. She furrowed her brow, still all serious. "These were single hits, all of them precise and capable of knocking out any individual man. He picked them apart, one by one it appears. No one in the world I know can do that, even my dad would have to throw a few punches to knock someone else out or kill them…"

The two police men nodded, the Sergeant wiping his brow. "Yeah, you see it's all foggy. But we did get a good look at the guy, and we've got plenty of witnesses," the cop said, gesturing over his shoulder. "We also got a good description of the guy. He had short, blonde, spiky hair, is medium build, tonnage white skinned, and wore black all over: combat boots, trousers, trench-coat, turtle neck…heck, even some blue, sapphire pendant. I was surprised I was able to catch that."

Videl nodded, rubbing her chin in thought. It was during these minutes of talking with the officers did a couple more police cars show up, followed by three ambulances and an S.W.A.T truck. The paramedics and other officers spilled out onto the scene, moving in on the call-collect call. It was about time they got here.

The raven haired girl glanced over at the officer, eyes narrowing. "Anything else?" she asked. The sergeant shrugged.

"Well, yeah there is actually," he said. The corporal decided to carry on from here, giving his partner a chance to catch his breath.

"This blonde haired dude carried this sword, and I'm telling you, beautiful design on first glance, easily spotted," the man stated. "And some kind of freak of nature, I'll say. When one of these rats decided to stand up to him," he continued, gesturing to the ten unconscious bodies. "…knife point and everything, the blonde haired fighter brought his sword upon him and like, it became huge, like a massive Buster Blade thing! And the funny thing is, is that it reminds me of that boy from the Cell Games. He did the exact same thing with his sword, only it was more dramatic…"

Videl rubbed her chin, surprised by these words. "Buster Blade eh?" she repeated, nodding in understanding. "I see. So we're dealing with a fighter from the Cell Games, sounds interesting…"

"Oh, now let's not treat him like some sort of criminal, Miss Satan," the sergeant spoke up. "He just saved our bloody necks! Bust my gut, he even reminds me of the Blind Bandit back at the tournament in the final round. Boy he moves fast as…" he said, turning to his partner. The corporal nodded, hands on his hips.

"Damn straight…"

Videl raised an eyebrow, now even more surprised by this. "The…Blind…Bandit?" she whispered to herself, glancing down at the ground. _"Hmm…that seems rather impossible. This 'Gold Fighter', though he does sound like the Blind Bandit, isn't. The guy I fought at the tournament had black hair, this guy has blonde hair. What's going on?" _She glanced up, furrowing his brow. Watching a couple of newly arrived police men cart away one of the bandits from the line up, the girl's eyes flashed. _"I'll have to find out who this guy is? No one beats me at my work and gets away with it!"_

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	47. The First Day

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_The First Day_

_**Half an hour later…**_

After looking over the case of the bank robbery several times and getting a clear description of the one responsible for stopping its success, Videl Satan headed off for Orange Star High School. During her trek to school, the raven haired girl still couldn't the thoughts of the case out of her head. She was practically boggled. Even as she was gathering her gear up from her locker Videl still couldn't stop thinking about it. This case was blown wide open to her, and not only was she looking at a Gold Fighter with a massive sword, but she was also comparing him to historic fighters from the past.

Taking her seat in her classroom, the raven haired girl set up her gear for today's first lesson: an exercise book of English/Languages, a note pad and a couple of pens. From here, waiting patiently at her seat as the rest of the class filled up, the girl tapped her pen against the surface of her pad and thought hard. During the minutes that passed by, she drew up a small, rough sketch of the man described to her by the witnesses from the bank robbery scene this morning. Blonde hair…black attire…muscular…massive sword…

"Hmm…" the girl thought, lightly biting on the back tip of her pen. _"This is certainly new to me. Features from both the boy fighter at the Cell Games and, what people are saying, the Blind Bandit in the final round of the World Tournament? Hmm…I never saw the final round, but two people wearing the same clothes? That's highly unlikely!"_

It was at that moment, Eraser had taken notice of Videl's distraction and lack of interest in the topic being past around their group of friends at that moment. Blinking in curiosity, the blonde haired girl sitting next to her leaned over a bit and glanced down at the picture the raven haired girl was drawing. "Whatcha' doing Videl?" her friend asked. Videl glanced up at her, allowing a clearer view of her drawing.

"Oh, hi Eraser," the raven haired girl replied. "Sorry…it's just that…uhh…" Eraser got a better look at the picture drawn up on Videl's pad. It was at seeing it the blonde haired girl mistook it for a hot guy her friend happened to be crushing on and squealed, snatching the pad away from the girl. Videl gasped in shock, trying to grab the thing away from her. However, Eraser kept it out of reach.

"Ooh…who's this?" Eraser asked. "My, he looks real cute, Videl! Is he a secret crush I don't know about?" she pressed. Videl growled and snatched the pad away from her. Their little commotion had drawn a lot of attention towards them, with a lot of people getting hooked onto the idea that Videl had a boyfriend. However, Videl was prepared to deny the following accusations.

"No!" the girl said in response to Eraser's words. "It's just a rough sketch of the _Gold Fighter_ who stopped those bank robbers this morning…" Eraser lit up by this, clapping her hands together and eyes sparkling brightly. The ideas coming to her head about her friend were overwhelming.

"Oh my God, you mean that hunk of a hero?" she questioned enthusiastically. "Is my best friend, the Videl Satan, dating the newest, hottest craze to enter this town?" the blonde haired girl exclaimed, anticipating the best to come of this. Unfortunately, her friend was in no mood to play these games, but was shocked to think that her friend would suggest that she would actually go out with someone she hardly knew. Then again, that's how Eraser's always been, date and guy crazy. Why did her friend love to torment her?

"Hey, Eraser," Videl said. "Just because I don't have a boyfriend, let alone like most of the guys in this school because they're fat headed jerks, doesn't mean you can start poking accusations at me whenever I happen to be involved with a case or anything else that is relatively guy related. So could you please drop it?" she asked. Eraser shrugged, crossing her arms and pouting.

"Fine," the girl mumbled in disappointment. "I'm just curious. After all, the Gold Fighter is pretty cute." Eraser's mood and outer expression did a complete 180 as she sprouted a megawatt smile with wavering eyes. She clapped her hands together again and laid her cheek against the back of her hand. "From what I hear, he's like a teenage guy with a big sword, going around fighting bad guys while concealing his secret identity. He's single, looking for a girl and has this great body…" The girl drooled slightly at the image she was thinking about at the moment, eyes shining with hope. Videl gave her a rather dull expression, sweat dropping slightly.

"You just made that up…" Eraser was snapped out of her dreamy expression and scowled at her raven haired friend.

"Hm…you don't have to go on and ruin it for everyone," Eraser stated, looking a bit disgruntled. Videl chuckled and shook her head. She patted her friend on the back, taking in a deep intake of breath and using an expression that pitied her blonde haired friend.

"Keep dreaming Eraser," the girl said. "Keep dreaming…"

Eraser sulked, propping her head on her hands and looking down at her desk. It was at her friend's discarding of their conversation, Videl returned to her sketching. As she continued adding the minor details to the picture, she couldn't help but come up with an actual image in her head of the young man in question. It soon dawned on her that this Gold Fighter character was actually quite hot, and that was coming from her. Shaking her head, the girl rubbed her chin, narrowing her eyes down on the picture.

"I wonder…" she whispered. "This guy's really strong. I've never heard of anyone who could knock out an entire group of armed men with singular blows, maintaining a constant strength throughout the whole ordeal and still walk away as if nothing had happened. As a martial artist, that sort of thing is impossible, especially the disappearing bit! This guy must be stronger then me and father…"

"Ahh…don't talk rubbish, Videl!" a blonde haired jock sitting on the other side of Eraser spoke up, hands held behind his head. Glancing over at him, Videl saw the guy with his eyes closed and staring up at the ceiling, smirking. "There's no way anyone can be stronger then your father! Mr. Satan is the strongest in the world…"

"No he isn't," another, feminine voice called from above. Videl, Eraser, Sharpener and several other teenagers turned to look up at the row behind them, spotting a girl with long brown hair wrapped up into a ponytail glaring down at them with her arms crossed. The girl had green, crystal eyes, milk colored, smooth skin, and was wearing a red jumper, yellow pants, and white sport shoes. Upon spotting her, the girl narrowed her eyes down on the three in front of her. "He never was the strongest in the world! Maybe by your standards, but not by my friend's standards…"

Sharpener glared up at her. "Lime, don't give us any of that now," the jock said.

"Of course Hercule's the strongest in the world!" Eraser stated. "Remember, he defeated Cell and threw that match in the last year's World Tournament because he felt like it! Now that's what you would call a strong man! Gees, what's wrong with you?" Eraser asked. Lime just glared down at them.

"Nothing. I'm just telling the truth!" the girl stated. "The fact is that Videl's dad isn't the strongest in the world, because he never defeated Cell!"

"Oh, then who did," Eraser asked, hands on her hips. "Like you would know! Hercule said that he defeated him, and he's got evidence! You don't!"

Lime just kept quiet, crossing her arms on her desk and laying her head down to rest. There was no point arguing, not against these chumps. Videl just stared at the girl for a moment in thought, but then turned back to her drawing. A couple of minutes later, the class were soon joined by their English teacher walking in. He wore a grey suit, wore thing, round classes and looked to be around his 70's. The grey haired teacher set his books down on his desk in front of the black board and cleared his throat. Smiling up at his class, he began his morning introductions.

He called for silence, placing his hands behind his back and beginning to speak. "Good morning students. Today I'd like to formally and proudly introduce a new student to this school, this being his first time in an actual High School and class as he was home schooled for most of his life. So could we please give him a warm welcome to our school community?" The students up in their respective rows and seats began murmuring amongst each other.

"Ooh…a new student?" Eraser exclaimed.

"That's something we don't have every day; getting fresh meat to pick on," Sharpener exclaimed. Eraser scowled at him.

"Sharpener," she hissed to him in a low voice. "Be nice…" The blonde haired jock chuckled, waving a hand at her.

"Ahh…I'm just playing, Eraser. I'm no bully, that'll be bad for my reputation," he exclaimed. "But yeah, a new student…I wonder who he is…"

"Or she," his blonde haired friend added.

The teacher calmed the class down, holding his hand up for silence. Once everyone was done talking, he nodded with a proud smile and gestured towards the open door. "Now, without further ado, I'd like you all to meet Son Gohan. You may enter now lad…" It was at this the students of this class looked towards the door to see the new guy enter, weaving round with a guitar case slung onto his back and books in hand. Nobody had prepared themselves for this moment, as the whole girl section of the class gasped and the boy section fixated gazes with awe, watching the new student enter their midst.

The young Saiyan, now placed under the eyes of his to be class, smiled up at all the students in the stands and stopped, taking in every face he could see turned in his direction. No comments were made, as the appearance of the young man was very surprising. It was then, Gohan spoke up, still smiling in that ever friendly manner.

"Hello, I'm Gohan…it's very nice to meet you all," he exclaimed, scanning the row in front of him.

Suddenly, murmuring and talking erupted amongst the entire class, the girls commenting excitedly on the handsome new students whilst the guys were passing their own judgment on this character. No one had ever seen a student of his type before, he appeared mixed. Everyone had expected some geeky looking fellow or jock of some kind to have stridden in through that door, but instead it turned out to be a hunky looking student with a brilliant build, gorgeous features and a face that put every other guy down for shame. He was cute by girl's standards and something to take into consideration by the guys.

Eraser squealed silently and placed her hands on her cheeks, looking the new student up and down with admiration. "Wow! Look at him. This Gohan's really something else," she said in a mischievous voice. Sharpener smirked, arms folded over his chest.

"Something to you, Eraser," the young man exclaimed, shaking his head, "…but not much to me. Still, I have nothing against him. He looks pretty cool…"

Videl was also gazing down at the young man in surprise, eyes wide with a very attentive, curious expression in play. It was after a moment or so of gazing down at the new student the raven haired girl tilted her head, looking him over more thoroughly while her mind whirled with thought. _"Hey…he's not too bad. He's actually quite cute…"_ Realizing what she was thinking, she shook her head and furrowed her brow with frustration. _"Oye, Videl get a hold of yourself! You're not like that! You're not supposed to be thinking about amazingly hot guys…WAIT! Argh…this is stupid! What's wrong with me?"_

Unknown to the rest of the students for the time being, Lime had arisen from her state of absence and thought and was now staring intently down at the new student. With wide eyes and a shocked look on her face, she quickly took in the young warrior's face and compared it to that of the one she had known in the past. Meanwhile, another blonde haired girl across from her, sitting on the other side of the class was also staring down at the student in awe and thought. It was then, after several seconds of flashing memories and thinking, the two girls finally pulled themselves to their feet. Their eyes never left the young man in their sights.

"Gohan?" Lime called to him. Gohan blinked in surprise, looking up into the stands to see a brown haired girl with a ponytail staring down at him. Needless to say, he was also surprised when he saw a blonde haired girl with shoulder length hair also stand up, just a row down and a bit more towards his right from where he stood. The other students were also a little surprised, whereas the teacher just turned towards the stands to see the two girls standing.

A few seconds later, after getting a much better look at the young man, Lime's expression immediately brightened and the girl rushed out from her row and down the stairs. "GOHAN!" she cried out again, eyes sparkling and pace hurried. It was by the time the girl was half way down the stairs Gohan finally recognized her as an old friend, his expression also lighting up.

"Lime!" he called, walking forward. The brown haired girl leapt down the rest of the steps and rushed at him. She then leapt at him, encasing him in a tight hug, laughing happily. The young Saiyan also shared a laugh as he spun round on the spot, lifting Lime off of her feet and returning her hug with one of his own. Okay, by this time the entire class was staring with bewilderment, same as the teacher.

By the time Gohan set Lime back down, they were both joined a few seconds later by the blonde haired girl that had stood up from her seat as well, the young Saiyan turning in her direction and gasping in surprise when she too latched onto him, crying out "GOHAN!" and burying her face into his shoulder. A quick glance at her ki and face quickly assured the young Saiyan of her identity, and he was overcome with joy at seeing both his childhood friends here again.

"Erran! Gosh, I can't believe this!" he exclaimed, laughing as he picked the girl up into a hug as well. He set her down a second later, stepping back a bit to look down at the two girls. He looked Lime and Erran over thoroughly, taking in their forms and clothes. He noticed Lime's casual outfit, as well as Erran's, which was made up of a blue jeans and a light blue tube-top. Obviously, Erran's favorite color was blue, but she looked beautiful all the same. Those thoughts never came to mind, however as Gohan was so thrilled to see the two girls again.

"You two? Here?" Gohan exclaimed, scratching his head while looking at the both of them. "Man, what a surprise! I never expected this! And my, how much you two have changed…"

"Hey, we never thought you'd be here either, Gohan," Lime exclaimed happily, beads of tears forming in her eyes.

"We were beginning to think we would never see you again," Erran also blurted out happily, tears running down her cheeks. Despite the signs that would usually indicate sadness, they were both beaming with happiness. Lime punched Gohan in the chest, not surprised to get a rebound you would usually feel when punching a brick wall.

"You jerk! You had us worried!" the brown haired girl stated. Gohan smiled, placing his hands on his hips.

"Now you two don't give me that. Can't you cut a guy some slack?" he asked, without the slightest hint of a pleading tone. "I just got back…come on!"

Before his two friends could continue speaking, the teacher standing at the sidelines cleared his throat, drawing them away from their happy reunion. Gohan glanced over at the old teacher or professor if you will, to see him staring at them with his hands behind his back and a very solemn expression on his face. It was then the realization of what was going on came to them, and they saw that they had easily captured the attention of the entire classroom. All eyes were on them, which was quite embarrassing and unnecessary since it has been seven years since Gohan had last seen Lime and Erran.

"Excuse me, Mr. Son," the teacher began, voice low and tonnage rough. "I'm glad that you're bonding well with your peers already, but could you please allow Lime and Erran to return to their seats so that we can continue on with our introductions? You'll have plenty of time for further talk during recess," he continued. Gohan nodded with a smile, while Erran and Lime blushed lightly.

"Yes, sir," the young Saiyan answered before turning back to his friends. "I'll talk to you guys later, okay," he whispered to them in particular. Both girls nodded, and with a final smile they turned and headed back to their seats. After they had left Gohan joined the teacher at his side, with the class starting to murmur again about the current situation. The new guy already knew two of the hottest girls that came to this school, and was sure to hold more surprises for them.

When Gohan took his place at the teacher's side, the professor began to speak up again, making sure all of the class' attention was fixated on him. "Now, Gohan here, as I have mentioned before, is very new to this classroom sort of environment, but I trust that he knows how to behave. He achieved high scores on his entrance exam in Math, English, Chemistry, Technology and Languages…all of the above subject intensive fields at a competitive level. He is a perfect example of what I would call a model student, unlike some of you. As for the rest of you who don't know much about young Son Gohan yet, it would be very welcoming if any of you try to make an effort to get to know him, and learn from his example." He then turned to the young Saiyan and gestured towards the rows of desks in front of him. "Now Gohan…you may take any available seat you wish. I'd really like to get the first lesson started."

Gohan smiled towards the teacher and nodded affirmatively. "Yes, sir…"

With a final nod, the teacher walked over to his desk, with Gohan beginning to search for a seat, eyes scanning the various rows before him. Through sharp sights, he was easily able to mark out an available spot around the second to last row at the back, right next to a surprisingly familiar face. He smiled and headed up there, keeping his guitar case tightly slung over his back and books held under his arm. Under the gaze of all present students in the room, the young Saiyan turned down the said row he had his sights in and walked to stand by the empty seat. He glanced over at the raven haired girl sitting beside it and smiled in a friendly manner towards her, eyes shimmering with light.

"May I sit here?" he asked kindly. Videl stared up at him and nodded. Her expression was a cross of trying to look friendly, curiosity and suspicion. However, since there wasn't much to be suspicious about him just yet, the girl just set aside her concerns and allowed him the seat.

"Sure, knock yourself out," the girl replied. "It's yours for the rest of the year. We use the same classroom for both semesters and every lesson, with rarely any changes…" Gohan smiled and nodded to her, being sure to heed these minor warnings while setting his stuff down beside him. Removing his guitar case from his back, he propped it against the desk, while his books took their place on the desk to his left.

"Thanks very much," he exclaimed, pulling his seat forward so that he sat closer to the desk. With that settled he leaned back into the chair and rested, still smiling at Videl. "Oh…and it's nice to meet you…Miss…?"

"Satan…Videl Satan," the girl replied, nodding to him. She then gestured behind her, the young Saiyan leaning over a bit to see who it was she was pointing out. His sights nestled on a blonde haired girl who leaned back as well to get a better look at him. She smiled and waved. "This is Eraser, and the blonde haired guy beside her is Sharpener. He's a pain in the neck sometimes, but he'll try to get along…"

Eraser held a hand out to him, which Gohan took and shook firmly while making sure his grip was correct for this sort of first impression with another girl. "It's very nice to meet you, Gohan!" Eraser exclaimed in delight. The young Saiyan nodded back to her, still smiling.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Eraser," he replied. The girl giggled and released his hand. She blushed slightly, another reaction to his common courtesy and gentlemanly response. Gohan then glanced over at Sharpener and nodded to him.

"And to you to, Sharpener," Gohan said. "It's nice to meet you." The blonde haired jock smiled back at him and waved, before resting into his chair with his hands held behind his head. Gohan chuckled, returning to a proper seated position and turning to Eraser.

"Very nice guy, I see," Gohan exclaimed. Eraser just waved a hand at him, cussing at that comment.

"Oh, you don't even know the half of it!" the blonde haired teen replied, smiling at him. "He can be a real pain sometimes, honestly. Best not get on his bad side…or any of his sides as a matter of fact." Gohan just shrugged and nodded to her.

"Right…I'll be sure to keep that in mind," the young Saiyan replied. He then glanced up into the row above to see Lime smiling down at him, face brightened and looking very happy to see him. Gohan grinned back, as he was also very lifted at seeing his friend again. "And how are you doing Lime? You're looking well." The girl just shrugged, propping her head on her hands and gazing down at him in an admiring way.

"Same-old, same-old," she replied. "But it has been a while since I've seen you Gohan. And you're looking really well, better then I imagined!" Gohan chuckled and nodded affirmatively.

"It comes with the package. I'm always doing well," he exclaimed. "And yeah, it has been a while. How's Anya doing?" he asked. Lime grinned.

"Oh, she's doing great. I'll tell her to meet up with us at recess. You can see her then!" the girl exclaimed. Gohan nodded, eyes seeing to shine at this announcement.

"That sounds good. Can't wait," the young Saiyan replied.

As these talks and introductions went on, with the teacher beginning to ramble on below, Videl couldn't help but stare at the new guy. She faced forward with her front, subtly yet suspiciously glancing over at the spiky haired guy beside her. At the same time, she bit the tip of her pen, tapping her desk and getting a detailed picture of him. Gohan had now turned to the guy sitting on his other side, the teenager saying his name was Pencil and saying he was also a good friend of Sharpener and Eraser. The young Saiyan set his place easily in the group, already getting to know everyone around him. While this was going around, everything seemed to drone out around Videl, her thoughts working their magic.

"_Hmm…that's odd, he doesn't seem like any ordinary guy,"_ she thought, furrowing her brow._ "I can sense there's something different about him, more different from everyone else. Okay, so he's more attractive then the other guys, big deal! I'm just getting some odd vibes radiating off of him. It doesn't feel right…"_ She looked him over again, taking note of his well made clothes, stylish hair cut and define, handsome features. Though she was surprised that he wasn't interested in the fact that she was Hercule's daughter or anything, there were also a few things about him that felt oddly familiar, yet strange at the same time. _"Right…so he doesn't gawk up to me like everyone else. Maybe he hasn't heard of my father or something…I don't know. Still…it's of little consequence…"_ Just then, Videl made quite a surprising observation. Around his neck, in clear sight, she saw a blue, crystal pendant. The heart shaped jewel sparkled brightly, catching her eyes. Though entrancing and attracting to the eye it was, it drew up a very closely related memory and she turned back to her picture.

There, worn around the Gold Fighters neck, she had drawn up that same or perhaps similar looking pendant. It was shocking really; she had just realized that now. Glancing back over at the new guy, she saw him laugh lightly at a joke passed on to him by Lime. She furrowed her brow, returning to her regular, serious expression as she latched onto the idea that he was actually the Gold Fighter. _"But that's absurd, he isn't even wearing the right clothes, and there is no way he can be the Gold Fighter because his hair color is different. However…those fighters at the Cell Games could change their hair color. Dad may write that off as some cheap trick, but not me."_

She had to give this a shot, or at least try to get to him in some way. Interrogation or just some curious questions always helped her. Maybe his reaction would help clue her in on whether he was hiding something or not.

"Hey, Gohan," Videl spoke up, drawing attention towards her from her surrounding friends. The raven haired girl pointed at his pendant, giving it an admiring glance. "That's some neat necklace you've got. Where'd you get it?" she asked.

Gohan smiled, picking up the small crystal and thumbing it. He held it up towards the group, the light refracting in it reflecting a brilliant sparkle that drew the girl's eyes towards it. They all awed the diamond, with Videl just staring at it admirably. The young Saiyan smiled, flicking it a bit. "This? Well…I made it myself…a long time ago. It's something I felt I wanted to do, and poured my heart and soul into it. It's very special to me," he exclaimed. Eraser smiled, leaning over her friend's desk to get a closer look at it.

"Wow!" she gawked with wide eyes. "Is that a sapphire?"

"What kind of gemstone is it?" Pencil asked, looking over his shoulder to also take a look. Gohan grinned, holding it in his hand with great care.

"It's a valuable gemstone: _Geosapphiric. _It can only be found in the Mountain Ranges towards the North," Gohan said, still smiling. "I was very lucky to have found this. I've never taken this off…"

Eraser tilted her head up at him, getting all curious. "Hey…where exactly do you live, Gohan?" the blonde asked. The young Saiyan lowered his necklace back to his chest, rubbing it once before relinquishing his hold entirely.

"I live up at the _439__th__ North-East Mountain Area_," he replied. Eraser stared in shock, with Sharpener nearly falling out of his chair when he heard this. Videl and Pencil were also surprised.

"What! Mount Paoz!" Eraser exclaimed, but not loud enough for the teacher far below to hear. Note that he was already writing stuff on the board, but no body was really paying attention. He was just going on and on about the origins of Latin and all sorts of other dead languages.

"You live all the way up there?" Sharpener also said, blinking in shock. "What's that? 400 miles out from the city! With another 500 miles of land that belongs to the Ox-King!" Gohan nodded affirmatively.

"Yup. That's my region," he replied casually.

Videl ran her hands through her hair, obviously dumb-smacked by this announcement. She then turned back to him, looking a bit distressed. "How do you get here then? You have to travel all that way, over 900 miles! You have to have some sort of high-powered jet or something to get here!"

Gohan shrugged. "It's really no big deal. I'm always up early and on my feet. I'm used to it," he replied, as a matter-of-factly. Lime shrugged, not at all surprised by this.

"That's Gohan for you," she stated.

Everyone seemed to fall quiet at this revelation. After eventually setting that shock aside, everyone just turned to the work at hand, with Eraser passing a last smile to Gohan. Videl, surprisingly enough, also just smiled and nodded to him in a friendly manner. "Well, it was great meeting you, Gohan. Perhaps we can catch up some more during recess or lunch," the girl exclaimed in a lighter tone.

Gohan nodded, smiling back. "That would be nice Videl. It was a pleasure to meet you to," he replied, turning round so that he could get to work.

Videl also turned back to her work, picking up her pen and opening up a new page on her note pad. As she did so, she glanced over at Gohan again, suspicious expression in play again. Watching him collect his book and open it up, he skimmed through the pages before stopping at a clear space. Pulling out his pen, he clicked it and began taking down notes. Videl gave him the eye again, but then turned back in thought, sweating a bit.

"_439 Mountain Area…man, that's a hell of a long way for your average Joe to travel,"_ the girl thought, furrowing her brow. _"Wonder why he'd go through all the trouble…"_ She glanced over at him one last time, eyeing him. From her perspective and at this angle, she was able to look at him clearly for a moment, dropping her suspicious thoughts etc. It was only then the girl felt her heart flutter a bit, hearing his voice as clearly as before. She sprouted a different smile this time, one different from before. _"Well…he is quite the charmer…"_

Suddenly realizing what she was thinking, she shook her head fiercely before turning back to her work. Ravishing her frustration and thoughts into her book, Videl went on to clear his head. One thing was for sure, she was having some very interesting moments with guys. First the Blind Bandit, now Gohan!

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	48. Quarrel

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Quarrel_

_**An hour later…**_

The first lesson went by rather smoothly, with no problems on whatsoever. Mr. Thamn, the professor who was put in charge of the class, found his time easy going and was rather cheerful about it. Through the long minutes that passed, no trouble had started up, meaning no detentions time was passed on to anyone, which was a good thing on the teacher and student's part. But in due course, the first lesson soon came to an end, and after every student had jotted down their homework, it was time for recess. Gohan was first up and out, and joined Lime and Erran at the front door to the classroom. Videl, Eraser and Sharpener lagged behind, taking their time gathering up their gear before heading off.

As promised, Gohan was introduced to Anya, and along with his other two friends, they headed on down to the oval for a walk and a talk. The group was happy to be together again, and had a lot of time to catch up with each other. So, finding a quiet spot outside, they sat down, had recess, and began sharing some quality time with each other. Meanwhile, as the rest of the school filed out to have a break from classroom time, Videl and her group took a seat on a nearby outdoor table and had their recess. As they ate and partook in the most common act of socializing, they couldn't help but steal glances over at Gohan's group. The young Saiyan and his three, old time friends looked like they were having the time of their lives.

"Man, what is up with them?" Sharpener asked, giving the group under the tree and odd look. "They're talking like they haven't seen each other in…"

"Years," Videl interrupted, giving him the serious scowl.

"Sharpener, do you have even the slightest shred of human decency in you?" Eraser asked, slapping him on the arm, "…or perhaps _some_ common sense?" The blonde haired girl pressured on. The inside and outer bruised jock rubbed the part of his arm where he was hit and sulked.

"I'm just asking, that's all," he replied, taking a sip from his can of soda. Eraser snorted, folding her arms over her chest while giving her friend the dirty look. Videl paid no attention, and just stared over at Gohan's group with that suspicious tone edged in her expression.

"Hm…the way you ask it's like you hate looking at a particular person," Eraser stated, still staring angrily at her friend. Sharpener set his soda down, moving onto a hysteria mood.

"Okay, I'm sorry! Alright," the jock exclaimed, looking a little nervous.

"Oh yeah, like that's the last time I'll hear you say that," Eraser replied, looking away and closing her eyes. She looked quite snobbish at the moment, but was actually disappointed at her friend. "That's like the 15th time I heard you say that this week!"

"Can you blame me?" the jock continued, shrugging at her. "The first time it was over stress, the other times are just me!"

Videl continued to ignore the argument Sharpener was surprisingly forced into. For some reason, Eraser was really annoyed at him. Maybe it was for the fact that they were once boyfriend and girlfriend, and were finding it hard to start over their relationships as close friends. Unfortunately their littler date ended with a harsh argument over their together time, and was evolving into these small-time, petty fights. Sharpener was constantly getting into these fights that Eraser wanted to bring up. Anyway, it wasn't Videl's problem. She was more concerned with Gohan and the mysteries revolving around him.

She observed his interactions with Lime Erran and Anya, who were reputedly three of the hottest girls in school, next to the cheerleading squad and other said girls (such as herself, but she didn't care). There was nothing out of the ordinary going on between them, and they were clearly not involved in any really close relationships. They were just…talking? Strange…Videl had seen all kinds of guys, and they were nothing like Gohan. Usually they would go and try to hit it off with girls like Lime and Erran immediately upon setting their eyes on them. The new guy was different.

"_Then again, they are old friends,"_ Videl thought, furrowing her brow. _"But how do they know each other in the first place? Lime, Erran and Anya come from villages 100's of miles away from Mount Paoz and this city. There is no way Gohan could have met them, unless they're family related or he was on travel."_

"And my mom totally flipped when she saw the mess made to the back-garden," Erran exclaimed. "She was all over the place trying to fix it. Well…after she fainted and all…" Gohan and the whole gang laughed at this. Some fun, catching up on the stuff they had missed. This all didn't go unnoticed by Videl, who had her head propped up and was giving them a curious eyebrow.

"Man…that must have been hard after the cow got out of the paddock," Gohan said, after cooling his laughter. "How exactly did it get out?" he asked. Erran shrugged, rubbing her chin.

"I don't know really," she replied. "Max must have left the gate open, which just so happened to be right next to our house. How the cow got into the backyard, I have no idea," the blonde haired girl said. Gohan chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.

"What a disaster," Gohan exclaimed.

"You have no idea," Erran said, rolling her eyes before gesturing over to Lime. "Miss pony-tail has got problems with sheep over at her place. They're always going loose." Gohan glanced over at his other friend.

"Really?" he asked. "And I thought sheep stayed together…" Lime shrugged, blushing slightly while twiddling her fingers. She shuffled nervously on the spot and grinned.

"Well…I accidentally set the dog out to round them up. Unfortunately he wasn't good at herding sheep," the girl said nervously. Gohan smiled, nudging her with his elbow.

"Hey, bad things happen," the young Saiyan said. "You can't stop those things from happening. Heck and I thought I had problems," he exclaimed, referring to all his past battles. Getting what he meant, especially the Cell thing, Anya, Lime and Erran also laughed along with him. Anya grinned and shuffled over to him, punching him lightly in the arm. Note, she wore tight, blue jeans, sport shoes and a brown top.

"You've had it worse then us, Gohan," the girl stated. "None of us ever had to go through the things you had to…" The young Saiyan smiled at her and shrugged, leaning back into the tree behind him.

"Yeah…I guess you're right," he said, giving them all a smile to see them all smiling back. "But hey, you were there at the Cell Games weren't you," he continued, lowering his voice a bit. The three girls nodded in response, Gohan smiling happily back. "So when you look at it like that, you've had your share of similar troubles…"

It was then Erran leapt at him and encased him in a tight hug, with Lime and Anya hanging back and still smiling. The blonde haired girl hugged him tightly, and then pulled back, giving him a sweet, loving smile. "Don't sell it short Gohan. We missed you…" Gohan blinked, smiling back with a glint in his eye. Suddenly, Lime and Anya leapt at him as well, causing the young Saiyan to topple back and fall onto his style, the girls doggy-piling on him. All of them laughed, having been years since they've been together like this.

Videl shook her head at this, turning away and taking a bite out of her apple. She too couldn't help but smile at this. "So childish…I never figured it," she whispered to herself. It was then Eraser chose the perfect to cut across and speak to her friend.

"Watcha doin' Videl?" she asked, catching her friend off guard. "Checking out the new hotty?" The raven haired girl backed away, still looking shocked. More overly because of what her friend was asking her and that it had its part to play with the Gohan affair. Videl blushed, trying to look outraged at the same time.

"No way!" she protested. "I was only drawn to the commotion going on," she replied, gesturing over to Gohan who was trying to wrestle Lime and the other two off of him. Eraser glanced round her, seeing what was happening. She grinned at this, expression lighting up, but not in a good way.

"Ooh…a play boy I see," the girl exclaimed. She propped her head up on her hand and sighed, eyes still sparkling but her expression more dazed then usual. "But he's still a dreamer…" Videl coughed at her friend's view of things and waved a hand at her, glancing back over at the young Saiyan and his fan club.

"Please, Eraser," Videl said. "They're friends, and acting childish like you two do on a number of occasions," the girl stated. The blonde haired girl smiled at Videl, never minding what she was saying about her and Sharpener. The jock was just standing by idly watching what was going down between Gohan and his friends.

"Oh come on, Videl. You like to act childish at some points too, you know," Eraser said, giving her a grin. The raven haired girl spat and folded her arms, throwing off that comment with a shake of the head.

"Nope," she replied. "There's no way I'd act like that. I'm not as naïve as most…I'm more serious about matters." Eraser placed her hands on her hips and leaned in closer to her friend, looking up at her monotone expression with a grin.

"Aww…come on, Videl," Eraser pushed on, trying to get her friend to look in another direction. "I know you; you're not like this all the time. Every girl has their other side, whether it's naïve acting, showing a fancy towards certain things or whether they have hidden desires wanting to be released. I think you have all three of them, only you keep them well hidden. Come on; just say you like the guy…" Videl choked, backing away in surprise. She then maintained her serious expression again and scowled. A light blush streaked across her cheeks.

"I don't like Gohan. Okay!" she stated. Eraser gave her a more serene smile.

"Come on…" Eraser whined. "Doesn't he look ravishing to you?" Videl bit harder, blushing ever more.

"That's sick Eraser," the raven haired girl said. She then looked away, closing her eyes. "Even if he is, I still don't like him. Besides, I'm more interested in inner qualities." Eraser shrugged and pulled away.

"Alright…it's your loss…"

Videl just gave her friend one last glance before looking back at Gohan's group. She saw that he was sitting up again, with Lime, Erran and Anya sitting in front of him again, as if in class and listening to a teacher. He was talking about something, but from here, Videl couldn't hear them. Instead, the raven haired girl just propped her head up on her set up arm, ate her apple and watched. Secretly, she couldn't tear her eyes away from Gohan for one reason and then the other, the one she'd rather keep away.

As the group watched from afar, everything was tuned down and turned back to Gohan's group. After tossing about for a minute or so, they eventually settled back to talking. Lime, Erran and Anya were very eager to know what had happened to Gohan and how he got back to the human world. Well, when they asked, he told them the whole story, and how he fought in both the _Four Chambers of Commerce National Martial Arts Tournament_ and the _World Martial Arts Tournament. _It turned out to be one hell of a story, and both girls were thrilled by it, listening intently just as they had done to all his stories. He was one interesting guy, and he still is.

"Wow!" Lime, Erran and Anya exclaimed at the end of his tale about the final round of the tournament. Gohan just smiled in response, sitting cross-legged with his guitar case propped up beside him and watching the expressions on their faces change.

"I bet that must have been an awesome experience!" Anya stated.

"I actually watched the tournament on T.V," Lime said with a shrug. "I thought the Blind Bandit was just some over-powered nobody, but it turned out to be our one and only, favorite Saiyan!"

"You just have to keep an eye out for those little things," Erran continued in place, gesturing over to Gohan. "You do realize that he's the strongest in the universe, don't you?"

Lime and Anya nodded. "Of course," they both replied in kind. Their blonde haired friend grinned and leaned over, giving him an overlooking, curious look.

"So…what did you do after that?" Erran asked. "What happened next?" Gohan just smiled and leaned back, folding his arms over his chest while keeping a fairly calm, casual look. He wasn't afraid to speak freely about his secrets to his friends, since he knew that they would keep quiet, no matter how tempting it was to tell others. They were part of the Z-Team's outer group, so either way there was no need to worry.

"Well, after the tournament…I eventually rejoined my family," Gohan replied, smiling brightly with sparkling eyes. "Everyone was thrilled to see me back…and I was happy to see them all as well. It was also the first time ever I met my new, younger brother, Goten. He's a cute sport, and I was certainly surprised to see how much everyone had grown. It was one of the happiest moments of my life…to reunite again with all my friends and family," the young Saiyan exclaimed happily. It was then, a shadow crossed over his eyes and his expression grew negative. All of a sudden, he was staring into darkness. "But…after all reunions and celebrations were had…I ran into another problem. This one wasn't a Cell or Frieza problem, neither of those…but a satanic one taking the form of a dark spirit named Scythe…" The girls glanced at each other, blinking in surprise. They then turned back to Gohan with very worried expressions on their faces.

"Scythe?" Anya repeated.

"Was he hard for you to beat? What happened between the two of you?" Lime asked. Gohan sighed, a very sour expression crossing his face. He found it distasteful whenever that dark fighter's name was brought up, but he would gladly talk about him none the less, just to assure his friends there wasn't any threat to be concerned about.

"If you really want to know…then I'll have to start from the very beginning," the young Saiyan stated, closing his eyes and looking back on past time. After thorough searching, he eventually hooked himself onto the right facts and began. "Hundreds of years before any of this happened; my opposite was involved in a deep friendship with a spirit named Sync; Guardian and Gate-keeper of the _Gateways to Darkness_. Back then he was just himself, a pure hearted spirit with no evil intentions whatsoever. Also at this time, things in both worlds were going well, with very little feuds or conflicts. All seemed to be alright," Gohan continued with his brow furrowing. "But then, things took a turn for the worst when Sync made a deal with a human to visit the physical plain, where he fell to the ways of greed and hunger for power, which exists in most humans."

"Sync fused with a human?" Lime asked.

"That doesn't make any sense," Anya said. "If Sync was so good, why did he become evil then? I mean…you turned out alright…"

Gohan nodded at this, eyes still closed. "Yeah, but the ways of a physical existing being can have a profound effect on the soul, especially on a spirit. The actual human Sync fused with was a tyrant/warlord, and a bad one at that. A reason for why is that Sync was convinced that if he force fused with the chosen person, then he would be able to change the man and turn him into a good one. He was wrong. The tyrant's soul was filled with darkness, and it overwhelmed Sync when they fused, taking him over completely in the resultant entity. It was after their eventual fusion they returned to the _Gateways to Darkness_ and opened the door. How they were able to do it was simple? The Gateway had no official key, but their eventual fusion had created the ultimate key for them; the _Dark Blade_. When the door opened, Sync, now formally known as Scythe, absorbed the darkness within it into him, which gave him unbelievable power. When a significant and controlled amount was gained, he destroyed the gateway. It was a while till he eventually found out what had happened."

The young Saiyan tightened his folded arms, feeling a bit uneasy at the memory. "The armies of the Spirit World attempted to destroy him before he did the earth any harm, but all failed until _I_ stepped in. My former self, Echo, engaged Scythe in a battle in the Spirit Realm, and eventually defeated him by sacrificing a great portion of his existing body, which destroyed Scythe's body and sent his spirit into the voids of the life stream, a non-existent realm lost spirits flow through, undisturbed. Echo's spirit, weakened, was forced to remain in his sanctuary and recover from the scars, continuing to guard the _Spirit Blade_. All was well then, and Echo was made a high-ranking guardian. But everyone knew Scythe would eventually return, so they made preparations for the day he would come back. Unfortunately, we underestimated Scythe's strength, as he was able to gain control of the life stream in which he floated through, and turned himself into a Shade. Hundreds of years later, he came back to take revenge on me first. If he had succeeded he would have gone and re-created the _Gateways to Darkness_, where he would seize more power and then take over the earth."

Erran and the others looked shock, and were gawking at him with wide eyes. Lime placed a hand over her chest, looking all the more concerned.

"That's terrible, Gohan…"

The young Saiyan nodded. "Naturally," he stated. "I've already explained the real reasons Scythe came back: it was mostly to kill me. After I defeated him the first time, he vowed he would never exist as a mere memory, and swore to take his revenge. However, with his power at a limit, he was unable to beat me when he got back not too long ago, and I let him off with a warning. But once he's recovered, he'll be back." Erran was a lot more worried now then she was before. How this story and everything else was coming out didn't really assure them that everything was going to be alright.

"But why did you let him go?" the blonde haired girl asked. "Anyone would have destroyed a maniac like him. If he's really that much of a threat, why did you allow him to live?" Gohan sighed, looking up with a serious gaze. This one was rather shaky, as this was his battle hardened stare.

"Because I'm an honorable fighter, Erran," Gohan stated. "And I also live with the belief everyone is allowed a second chance. My past life only allowed him partial existence because I wasn't strong enough to beat him. Now that I have started anew, it gave me a clearer insight. I spared his life this time, to see if he will change. If he doesn't, then the second time he fights me will be the last time he will…"

The three girls stared at him for a few more seconds, giving him unsure stares. But then, as realization dawned on them, Gohan's words eventually got to them. They knew that he was a really good person to start with, and also that he knew a lot about fighting and what courses of action needed to be taken. If there was anyone they would turn to for advice on these situations, it would have to be him them. After staring at him for a few moments, they eventually smiled with Lime opening the floor.

"I see now," the brown haired girl exclaimed. "That's a good way to go…"

"Perhaps allowing another person to live is even more powerful then making the decision to kill them," Erran stated, shrugging. "It may be a suggestion, but it feels right…"

"If Scythe comes back again, make sure you give him what's coming to him," Anya exclaimed. Gohan nodded affirmatively, smiling brightly.

"Sure thing," he replied, letting out a sigh and resting back after he had finished telling the story.

The four of them were long-time friends, and could freely share thoughts and feelings with each other without suffering embarrassment. Lime, Erran and Anya, since they're a part of the Z-Team, minded to keep Gohan's secrets of a Saiyan etc. It was no wonder the school didn't know about him, and the young Saiyan was thankful for that. He couldn't stand the attention; he just wanted to fit in.

For the rest of recess the group just talked among themselves for a little bit longer, before finishing up just as the bell pulled in. Its loud and annoying chime alerted everyone to the attention of the second lesson. So after gathering their stuff etc. the students filed back into the school for the start of this next lesson. It didn't take Gohan, Lime, Erran and Anya long to say their farewells for now before breaking off into their respective groups. Videl's group was soon to follow, and in time everyone was inside.

* * *

_**Second lesson…**_

"_Chemistry",_ Gohan thought with a smile and a shake of his head. Stationing himself in front of one of the desks scattered around the wide open room, the young Saiyan slipped on a lab-coat and a pair of goggles, after which he also put on a pair of gloves. The students all around him did the same, with the room now filled with similarly dressed people and looking smart in these outfits, even though some of them weren't. _"What a time to be at school…"_

Well, the second lesson began with an easy kick off, the science teacher immediately getting down to business and telling every student to prep themselves for today's experiment. As instructed, every student in class found themselves dressed in the familiar gear set for this lesson and after applying the necessary implements of protection, stood at their posts and awaited their next instructions. Actually, they were simple: find a partner and choose a desk where both of you will be working on. Everyone found their partners quick and simple. Nobody wanted to partner for Videl, since they knew that she would blow up at any little thing that she found remotely criminal like, and Gohan was left on his own since he declined the invited from girls. The girls who tried to partner with the young Saiyan actually wanted to get closer to him in a physical sense, which didn't look good on his record. And of course, everyone else the young Saiyan knew was already partner up; Lime with Erran, Sharpener with Eraser, and Pencil stood with another guy named Eric. This left Videl and Gohan on there own.

With surprisingly no objections, Videl went along with Gohan and together they stood in the centre desk. As soon as class time started rolling, everyone began jotting down solutions, notes and processes from the blackboard, using note pads they would later refer to, to complete assignments. Most of the students would need it, others like Gohan, who happened to be the only one of his kind here, didn't need to take down notes as he had memorized every page in the science book off by hard. Having familiarized himself with the art of fixing the right chemicals together from complex process to even the most basic of solutions, he just went ahead with the project. Although Videl was having a hard time catching up with her partner, she didn't protest to this. She didn't even know half of the things they were doing in this chemistry class.

Anyway, after eventually getting down their notes, the students hit the practical part of this lesson. While one student began fixing the chemicals, their partner's collected the gear needed for this assessment. Within minutes, desks were piled up with flasks, test tubes and racks. With each student taking their turn at the mat, they applied the chemicals and mixed them, careful not to create any unstable reactions. If so, then it would be one nasty explosion and a week in the med-lab. The teacher moved through the crowds of students calmly, looming over their shoulders and taking his time in observing their performances. This way of observation left no way for any disaster to strike. Meanwhile, as this lab commotion was going around, Gohan and Videl continued to function well as a pair separate from the other groups. They both took down notes, the young Saiyan doing it just for the sake of it, while they both took turns at the practical.

Furrowing her brow, Videl poured took a small spoon of sulfate and poured it into a flask filled with an unknown, blue liquid. Seeing it sink in a form a solute, the raven haired girl lightly stirred it on the spot, under the watchful eye of her partner. It was as she was about to pick up a yellow flask of thicker liquid Gohan stepped up to the plate. He easily became worried at what test tube she was thinking of applying to this resultant.

"Wait a second, Videl," the young Saiyan said, holding his hands out for her to stop. The girl glared over at him.

"What?" she asked. Unheeded by her threatening stare, Gohan took the flask away from her and glanced into it. Analyzing it with keen eyes, he nodded and placed the solution down, smiling.

"If you add that carbonated hydrogen solution, this solution will become unstable," Gohan stated. "It will give off too much heat. Best wait and add the copper first…"

Videl glared for a moment, watching him write down his observations before he ducked down to collect some strips of copper from the compartment under the desk. While waiting for her partner, the raven haired girl, curious, glanced back at the yellow solution she was planning to add to the flask. Picking it up, she studied it for a moment, flicking at the side and raising an eyebrow. She then gave it a disgusting look and lowered it a bit.

"_Yuck…looks like piss,"_ she thought, placing it on a different test-tube rack along side other, mixed solutions. Not knowing this, the girl went on to filling in her note pad, writing down the followed up method and the observations so far. A few seconds later, Gohan stood back up, smiling and humming to himself as he took out a small vial filled with copper shards. Opening the small container, he picked up several of the strips with a pair of tweezers, and began adding exactly one pinch to each of the following test tubes on the _mixed_ rack.

After the following test tubes had the copper placed in them, as well as the flask he was testing before, the young Saiyan then went on to add a couple more vials of stuff, including an unfamiliar pink solution and some sort of green substance. The test tubes bubbled beautifully, with the yellow one surprisingly also emitting some sort of gas. Videl took down the following observations, before moving on to watch some more. As the teacher continued to weave through the class and the students carried on with their work, Gohan collected up the flask containing a now dark blue liquid, and began pouring just the right amount into each of the test tubes set up and already tested on. When he reached the yellow test tube Videl had commented on before, he tipped a pinch of the flask's small contents in. Right on the first drop, the solution reacted immediately and exploded, a black cloud of smog like gas shooting up into Gohan's face. Everyone let out gasps or screams of surprise, the teacher glancing round at incident that had occurred.

Videl looked up in shock at her partner, seeing Gohan standing over the test tubes with flask still in hand and face blackened. His hair also stood more on end with a rather bewildered look on his face. It was after realizing what had happened, the young Saiyan lowered his flask to the desk and sighed. He glanced over at Videl with a much disheveled look in play. He wasn't mad, he was just surprised.

"Videl…did you change the location of the carbonated hydrogen solution?" he asked. The raven haired girl blinked several times, still looking a little startled. Gulping, she nodded her head.

"Uhh…y-yeah…" The young Saiyan breathed in deeply and then exhaled, reaching up and wiping his partially dirtied goggles.

"Well…be thankful I put the copper strip in," he stated before removing his goggles and looking up at the raven haired girl. He smiled in an amused way. "Otherwise it would have gone up in white smoke and I'd look sillier then I do now…"

One glance at Gohan's face would make anyone laugh. The goggles had protected his eyes from the blast of smoke, but had also left some parts of his skin blocked and untouched. The outlines of his mask could be seen in the black smudges on his face, with the smile he gave giving Videl more encouragement to laugh. At first she had to stifle it, but soon enough she burst out laughing along with the rest of the class when they set upon the sight in front of them. Gohan also laughed, this mess being the first non-harmful one that was actually amusing…

* * *

_**Hours later…**_

School didn't turn out to be so bad; what with the easy lessons that you could kill time through, the occasional breaks and for a fact you had a lot of friends here to look out for and who will look out for you in kind. Well, that was all coming from Gohan's perspective. The point being was that because the young Saiyan was so smart, he didn't even have to pay proper attention. He learnt everything they had learnt in High School twenty times over when he was six. And it was also because of this, he had no homework whatsoever. All his work was completed in class, with all essay and test related extra work completed right there on his desk. His teachers were truly impressed.

Now that it was the end of school, Gohan could finally take his break and head on home. Gathering the very little gear he had in his locker, he quickly made sure he had everything before shutting the cold, steel door and slung his bag over his shoulder to join his guitar case. It was then as he was turning to leave he accidentally bumped into Videl. Well, not literally bumping into her, but was just blocked from his path by the girl standing in front of him, staring up at him with her arms folded over her chest. Gohan was slightly surprised he didn't sense her standing behind him, but eventually let off a smile and nodded to her.

"Hey there Videl," he exclaimed, his tone basic. "You headin' off home now?" the young Saiyan asked. The raven haired girl smiled back and nodded.

"Of course," she replied, before moving onto a question neither had expected. "But I was just wondering…since it's only been a short day and…I didn't really get to know you that well…do you think I could join you? You know; just a short walk and talk?" she asked. The girl figured that if she was to find out more about him, then she may as well find out how he got here and back from Mount Paoz so quickly in a daily basis, and any other facts that could give her clues to who he really was. Gohan just smiled, showing no surprised reaction whatsoever as he nodded.

"Sure," he said, gesturing down the hall. "If you've got all your gear already, after you then…" Videl smiled back and started down, with the young Saiyan trailing beside her. Now standing side by side in the partially deserted corridor, the two unlikely fighters proceeded down the winding, locker lined hallways towards the front entrance of the school.

"By the way, thanks for this, Videl. I really appreciate the company," Gohan exclaimed, cases and gear still slung over onto his back. The raven haired girl just waved that away, turning to him and still smiling.

"Think nothing of it. I live in this city. My place is only 10 km down the way. While you…well…" she shrugged, and lowered her fists to her sides. "You live up in the Mountains. I still can't believe it. How do you do it?" the girl asked, a little amused by this fact. Gohan chuckled, shrugging back to her in this basic conversation.

"It's just dedication I guess. It's no big," he replied, grinned. Videl shared a slight laugh, nodding to him.

"I see. Well, that's got to be some effort. All that traveling…and I thought I had problems," she said, both of them turning down into the hall leading towards the front entrance. Once more they passed by a couple of more students, all of them staring at them in surprise. It was obvious they had never seen Videl hanging around Gohan like this before, or anyone else for that matter. It was quite a rare sight.

Anyhow, back to the present, Gohan glanced over at Videl curiously at her last statement. "Oh, how so?" he asked. Videl shrugged, slipping her hands into her pockets.

"Well…you see…I help the Satan City Police Department catch common and rare would be criminals that they can't handle, by means of hand-to-hand combat. To put it into perspective, I fight crime. It's basically my job in the SCPD," she stated, sighing and shaking her head. "It can be tough sometimes. And on top of that, I've got school and other stuff to take care of. It's a real drag…" Gohan nodded in understanding, looking ahead of them as they approached the door.

"Who said living was easy," the young Saiyan stated. "I've got a lot of things to deal with too, believe me. Everyone does." Videl nodded, both of them reaching the door at the same time. Showing a rare courtesy the raven haired girl had never seen in a guy, Gohan opened the door for her, allowing her to pass. Thanking him with a kind smile, she strode through, followed by the spiky haired student.

"Yeah…guess you're right," the girl admitted, both of them stopping on the opening steps to the school. They stared at each other, both of them smiling. "But for some, it can be harder then most. Most people don't know how hard it is to be a celebrity or the son/daughter of a famous person. Putting up with the public, as well as day to day life can really get to you," she stated. Gohan nodded, smiling.

"And the life of an average person is really harsh too. You can see what your common person has to get through: work, family, extra chores…it's a real mess," Gohan said. Videl chuckled, nodding. The two of them resumed their walk, walking down the stairs and down the path of the school's property. Videl never tore her eyes off of Gohan for a second.

"I can only imagine it," Videl said. "But sometimes I wish I had a normal life, perhaps something like yours…" Gohan laughed, placing his hands on his hips and giving her a grin.

"Believe me Videl; you wouldn't want to be placed in my shoes. Trust me," he exclaimed. Videl nodded.

"I'll bet. And you certainly wouldn't want to be placed in my shoes," she replied. Both of them stopped at the school gate, still looking at each other.

"Then I guess we have something in common there," Gohan said. "Tough lives that we don't want…" Videl chuckled, grinning at the end of that statement.

"You've got that right," she replied, before the two of them ended up laughing together. Moments later they calmed down, Gohan rubbing the bridge of his nose and shaking his head, looking up with a smile. Videl looked back up at the new guy, having too because of their height differences. As soon as they had eyes locked again, the raven haired girl began to speak again. "So…how do you plan on getting home, Gohan? I could give you a ride half-way or something?"

Gohan shook his head. "No thanks, Videl. I wouldn't want to trouble you for the effort," he replied. It was a wonder why he wasn't fully warming up to her like he did last year. Maybe it was because he had more control over himself, or he was acting more civil. Either way, no longer covered by an artificial mask, he had to use a strong will barrier, which was permanent and unseen. It was nice sharing this kind of time with his new friend. It was then the young Saiyan gestured down the street in another direction. "I would much rather like to treat you to a drink," he continued. "Would you like to join me? I was planning to go to the _Café de la_ for an iced-coffee before I head off."

Videl, surprised by this sincere invite, couldn't help but comply. She could grant this small request. "Sure, sounds like fun," she replied. She then held a firm finger to him. "But know this, it's not a date." Gohan blinked in surprise.

"What? Of course not…I was just asking," he replied. Videl smiled and placed her hands on her hips.

"Then you've got my answer," she stated.

Together, the two of them headed off down the road away from the school. It was only a few minute walk, the two of them weaving down streets, following the path Gohan memorized. Videl was rather surprised when they passed the scene of the bank robbery that had occurred in the morning, a police line taped around the street with a couple of cop cars stationed here. This made her think, but that was quickly dropped as she was more caught up in her talk with Gohan. They spoke all the way to the restaurant, and when they got there, they continued talking. Gohan even paid for both their treats, even though Videl said he didn't have to. It was then they took their leave and sat down to drink and talk some more.

Gohan was very interested to learn more about Videl, as was the said raven haired girl who was joining him. He listened to her as she talked about her thrill filled job, as well as her time in past schools and martial arts academies with her father. The young Saiyan was also surprised to hear that she self-trained herself, ever since she was about six or so. She had so many inner qualities he could definitely get used too, and they surprisingly had a lot in common: they both loved martial arts, they both partook in Wushu, and they were both the son/daughter of a former World Martial Arts Champion. They also enjoyed music and quiet time, just to think back on the past and see how they could better themselves. There were so many things they could agree on as well, which made this long conversation more worth while.

Videl had surprises of her own to experience. She found it so much easier to talk to Gohan then most guys, and for once she was actually having a good time with someone she has only known for a day. He listened to her every word, which most guys didn't, and she learnt a lot about him. However, he felt reluctant to talk beyond that about some things, but she didn't mind. It was clear they were both enjoying themselves, and this quiet restaurant served as the perfect spot for them. They still didn't consider this a date though…

Or maybe it was…

Those thoughts never came to them, and after at least an hour of time together, they realized they needed to head off. After thanking the restaurant keep for great coffee, they departed and came to stand outside of the restaurant. Smiling up at Gohan, Videl shuffled a bit on the spot in a shy manner before holding her hand out to him.

"Well, I had a great time, Gohan. Thanks for the drink," she exclaimed. Gohan smiled back, taking her hand and bowing. He kissed her hand lightly, giving her a really charming grin before releasing her hand. Videl was surprised by this, and blushed slightly at the affectionate and gentlemanly like gesture.

"My pleasure, Videl," he replied. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then…" Videl, still blushing light, nodded her head. She couldn't stop the feeling of lightheadedness and the quickness of her heart rate as he smiled down at her, for the first time looking at that face without any suspicion at all. Maybe it was just from the coffee…she didn't know. Whatever the case, she couldn't help but take an immediate liking to him.

"Yeah…I'll see you tomorrow, Gohan. You can count on it," she stated. The young Saiyan smiled and nodded back, seeing Videl wave to him once and turn away. "See yah…" It was then with that said, the girl headed for home, heading down the way they had used to get here. Gohan saw her off, hands on his hips and a smile still crossing his expression. After seeing her walk away, he too decided to head on home, turning around and walking to a more secluded area so that he could take off.

At that moment, Videl stopped someway down the street and glanced over her shoulder. She saw Gohan walking away too, curious as to how he would be getting home. But then, after seeing him disappear round the corner, she decided she wouldn't bother. They had too much of a good time for her to be suspicious about him. Smiling, she rubbed her left cheek in an act of bashfulness before continuing on home.

"_Maybe he isn't such a bad guy after all,"_ she thought.

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	49. Appearances

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Appearances_

_**The Next Morning…**_

The whole Son residential area was up to a bright and warm morning, unlike the usual cool changes had up in Mount Paoz. Today was just perfect, with everyone up and about. Once again, as per routine, Chi-Chi made breakfast for Goku and Goten, the two Saiyans sitting at the family table and gobbling down food like they had actually been starved. No matter how much credit you gave them they never stopped old habits. Even to this day, the members of the Z-Team wondered how Saiyans could eat so much, and still have enough space for lunch and dinner. Chi-Chi didn't mind though; she loved cooking. It was both a chore and a hobby. That's what made her house caring duties so fun. She loved trying new things, as well as making them in vast quantities. But the hardest thing was going out shopping to get the stuff. However, with Gohan's recent help, that problem was soon averted.

While her husband and son ate, Chi-Chi took off her apron and slung the tea towel over the rack on the wall. After making sure everything was done to satisfy the two Saiyans for now, she smiled and left the kitchen, passing on her words to Goku. "I'm going to see how Gohan is doing. He should be getting ready for school now," the Son mother exclaimed. Goku still a little bit preoccupied, just waved and mumbled his answer to her. Chi-Chi didn't fuss about his eating habits, and just left them to their business.

Heading over to her son's house, the raven haired mother knocked on the front door. Looking around, she waited patiently for an answer, but received none of any kind. She tried knocking again, while still receiving no response and after that still nothing. After a few more seconds of waiting, Chi-Chi placed her fists on her hips and growled, impatiently tapping her foot.

"Oh, what's keeping that boy?" she asked. "He's never late getting up, and always answers the door. What's going on?" The woman decided to go with her forward plan and opened the door using the extra set of keys he had given to her. Mumbling to herself about sleepy Saiyans, she proceeded indoors while closing the door behind her, entering the vast complex of his living room. With one look around, she easily sensed that her older son was not around here and headed off to check the other buildings. However, she had a feeling that he was in his greenhouse, which had to be right because she had a knack for finding her own children.

So, heading down the intersecting hall on the right, she entered the green house. Immediately upon stepping in, she was overcome by the humidity of what could come close to an actual forest environment. A rain forest more like it, because everywhere you turned you were introduced to a very exotic environment. The entire ground was basically regular earth covered with a layer of grass, with the barrier being the unique design of green house chosen. Trees of all sorts grew everywhere, accompanied with the familiar undergrowth of vines, bushes, shrubs and smaller trees. Blossom trees were also grown in here, along with evergreen trees etc. Looking around, Chi-Chi could see the true expanse of the place, which looked even greater then it did on the outside. Gohan had even installed an artificial waterfall, river and lake. A compact place increased to a great interior make. Though the familiar Chinese design of shrine was seen on the other side of the green house, Chi-Chi still could not see her elder son. So, she ventured in, in an attempt to find him. He had to be around here…

Following the inward path that carved through the thick undergrowth, Chi-Chi looked from left to right, taking in the sights and sounds the greenhouse had to offer, she looked out for her son. This place was so unique on its own it had its own creatures thriving in here too. There were various types of butterflies and birds living here, the most common species being the robins and the blue birds. It simply made the place more home like, so the Son mother could easily tolerate with this. But for a fact that it was so big it made it harder for her to find him.

As she approached the bridge that crossed the miniature river that flowed through here, she stopped just short of it, glancing towards the waterfall not too far from her. It came as sort of a surprise to her when she saw Gohan sitting cross-legged underneath the waterfall, completely naked with his sword and clothes folded neatly on the ground away from the falling water. The Son mother just stared when she spotted him, placing her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow and sighing in distress. For one, Gohan didn't have his back turned to her, and second was that Chi-Chi thought her son was smarter then this and take an actual shower.

"Man, it has to be an unhealthy, bad impression to make on a person to be able to be seen naked and feel no shame. Saiyans…" she said to herself, looking up towards the ceiling and shaking her head. "I can make an exception for my family, but sometimes I can't stand it…"

She just stood there, waiting impatiently for her son to come to his senses. It was clear that he was meditating as well as taking a cold shower, but she didn't care. All she wanted was her son to get up and head off for school so that he wasn't late. Well, her hopes in her mind were soon set to rest when she saw her older son's eyes open and the young Saiyan glance up, a serious expression on his face. When he saw his mom standing on the path and staring at him impatiently with her arms crossed, he sighed and stood up. Not bothering to cover himself, he hopped down from his high point and landed on the ground beside his clothes. With a quick power up, he dried himself, and with a sigh, he collected his undergarments and slipped them on. When he did, he collected the rest of his gear and walked over to his mother. Chi-Chi glared up at him, eyes flashing.

"Gohan, you're going to be late for school!" the Son mother stated. "And how many times have I told you have a shower in a bathroom, or at least one of those tubs I always set out for you and your father!" Gohan chuckled, beginning to dress into the same clothes he wore the other day. The trousers went on first, followed by the turtle neck. As he dressed up, he replied to his mother's earlier reminders.

"Mom…years ago I spent six months on my own in the wild, and had to use waterfalls as suitable ways of cleaning myself. If not, then there was the occasional lake. Even though I fancy the showers as well, I still like coming to a waterfall for a wash and a quiet meditation. It's a spirit-Saiyan thing," the young Saiyan replied, slipping on his socks while fixing up his jacket. Seconds later, his shoes and gloves were also on, and after he was done dressing, his mother gave him a still odd sculpted look.

"Well…at least put on something when you're meditating. Honestly, you're like your father. No shame whatsoever," the mother stated. Gohan just smiled, stretching his arms out before taking leave. With his mother walking beside him, they both headed back into the main building. First they had to get out of this greenhouse.

"Guess I inherited it from my dad," the young Saiyan replied to his mother's earlier statement. "I'm a Saiyan in part, and I'm also human. I act on instinct, but also in sense." Chi-Chi just sighed, eventually setting aside her arguments and smiling up at her son as they exited the greenhouse.

"I can't object to that, son."

Apparently, Gohan had already planned ahead with his packing. With his bag and guitar case propped up on a chair in the lounge room, the young Saiyan was more then ready to head off. As soon as he had had a proper breakfast, with his mom helping him whip up a couple of eggs, the spiky haired warrior collected his gear and exited the house with his mother. Locking the door behind him, the young Saiyan kissed his mom on the cheek before flying off to school. Chi-Chi waved after him, hoping for the best.

* * *

_**An hour later…**_

School started off on schedule without any problems whatsoever. Unlike the other day where there was that incident in the morning involving the robbery of Satan City bank, today was just perfect. At least the teachers could breathe easy, as well as a couple of other students. These would include Gohan and Videl. There were no interfering criminals messing up their mornings, and there certainly weren't going to be any more problems for a while. So, as of 45 minutes ago, school had begun, opening with the very first lesson of the day. Everyone had arrived on time and remarkably enough everyone was here, no absentees. Well, it was certainly looking to be a wonderful day indeed.

But what could possibly be wonderful about the day in, day out life of a High School student. For most it was boring and the workload was terrible. Only those who were truly dedicated to their studies and fully devoted their time and effort to their education found it easier then others. The pressure was on for your average Joe, fortunately for Gohan's class, it was Extended Study time. Here the students could freely catch up on work they may have missed or complete homework they weren't able to finish before hand. It also meant a time to rest up before the real work started pouring in, so students could read, doodle or talk with their close by friends. The teacher was too busy grading tests to worry about most of the things going on in front of her, so there was very little to be concerned with.

Routine continued on as usual, and everyone was busy at their own thing. Lime and Erran were working hard, having plans for a later free day today to spend some quality time at the mall. Eraser was filing her nails, with no surprises there at all, Sharpener was snoozing away with his hands behind his head, Pencil was fixing up his math homework, and Gohan was just sketching in his free pad, drawing the landscape around the sacred sight he usually hung up at. Videl on the other hand was drawing something else, making comparisons between the Gold Fighter and the boy at the Cell Games. She had managed to get hold of a photo of the Z-fighters, with enhanced pictures on the boy so to make it easier to judge the minor details of his form and face. So far, she was making good progress on this. Gohan didn't mind. He had nothing to worry because Videl didn't fully suspect him for anything. Note, the young Saiyan looks a lot different now then he did seven years ago, and even the most recognizable details were hard to judge.

Any how, things were going smoothly so far. No drama, no trouble and no brewing villains anyone had to worry about. The outside was beyond the school's concern, but nothing could be suppressed for long as Videl's watch started to ring. Everyone heard the loud beeping of the raven haired girl's watch, with all eyes tearing away from said work towards the offending device. Gohan, surprised and curious none to say the least, also glanced towards the girl sitting beside him. Unlike some, he had no idea why the watch was making such a racket, and needed to be sure. When he saw the girl lift her right wrist up to her the watch was strapped around, he watched her press a blue button along the side and began to speak into it.

"Talk to me, Chief," she said. "What's going on?"

"_**Videl, we have serious trouble moving out of the city in a high speed pursuit!" **_a crackly voice from bad reception replied over the built in speaker in the girl's watch. _**"Three heavily armed men have stolen a **_**Satan City Security Service Van**_**, and are leaving town with over 1,000,000 Zenie! We've sent five cars after them and already two have been taken out!"**_

The raven haired girl nodded in understanding, eyes flaring up with a sight everyone knew her for. "Alright, I'll be right there. Don't wait up," she said, "Out!" With that, she disconnected frequencies with the Chief and stood up. Within even bothering to push her chair back in or pack up her stuff, she rushed down the stairs towards the door. Without stopping, she pulled the door open, and while in mid-run, called to the teacher. "Security Van hijacked! Sorry Mrs. Goodrich!" Within seconds she was gone, leaving the teacher and the rest of the class in silence. A few moments later, as this was regular routine, they returned to their work.

Gohan on the other hand, had grown a little bit more concerned over what he had heard. Glancing round, he checked to see if anyone else had taken worry over this turn of events, but found that everyone was too caught up in their own work to care. He frowned, furrowing his brow and quietly glared down at the desk in front of him. With concern quickly overtaking his mood, he leaned forward and placed his hands on the edges of his desk, glancing from left to right to see if anyone was looking at him.

"_If Videl plans on stopping a one-ton van moving at high speeds crammed with armor and in the hands of three psychos, she's out of her mind,"_ Gohan thought. _"I know that she can handle herself in most situations, but this is just too much, even for her. I've got to do something!"_

Smirking, Gohan ducked under his desk, acting like he had dropped a pencil. No one had taken notice of him yet. While he was under his desk, he only had to influence his energy to a minor extent, and in just a few short seconds, a second Gohan appeared right beside him. The same strength, low class copy who imitated the original Gohan's personality, shook his head and glanced over at the original to see the young Saiyan nod to him with a serious glimmer in his eyes.

"I'm counting on you to follow through with standard procedures, alright," Gohan said. Copy-Gohan replied with a nod and, taking the original Saiyan's place, sat back in the empty seat and pulled out a Math Book. Remaining silent the duplicate carried on work as normal. This left the original Gohan time to get out. So, in a blink of an eye, grabbing the sword from the guitar case beside the Copy-Gohan, the young Saiyan super speeded out of the classroom without anyone noticing.

In a blink of an eye, the original Gohan sped up onto the rooftop, arriving to see a yellow, Capsule Corp designed jet-copter lift off of the ground and take off in the direction the high-speed chase was occurring. Gohan stopped just short of the pad the copter was once stationed on and glared after the flying vehicle. After seeing it fly off into the distance, the young Saiyan looked around, checking for any nearby ki's or lingering eyes. Finding the rooftop completely deserted, he slung the sword round his back and stood tall. Balling his fists, the young Saiyan only had to power up slightly, a flash of light illuminating off of him. A second later, when the light died, he was revealed standing in his black, trench-coat gi and in Super Saiyan form. Without an aura, the powered up Saiyan leapt off the roof and in a blast of wind, took off after Videl's jet-copter.

Easily able to catch up with the jet-copter, the young Super Saiyan had to slow speeds down to a critical low in order to match its speed. Deciding that it was for the best, he pulled back to a safe distance so that he wouldn't be spotted, and followed the copter to the chase scene. In just a few minutes, they eventually exited the city's boarders, and soon enough were entering the desert in the Western plains of Satan City. Within moments of entering this empty airspace, Gohan immediately spotted the chase going on far below. A long, main road stretched out and into the desert, providing the perfect racing track for a van and a couple of cop cars to perform this cat and mouse act. 50 meters ahead of the three cop cars in pursuit was the Security Truck, which was moving at incredibly high speeds for its weight class.

Raising an eyebrow, Gohan watched from the sidelines as Videl pulled her jet-copter down into a steady dive, moving through the air in a sweep maneuver. The young Saiyan wondered what move the girl was going to try, and was more concerned for her safety by the second. Suddenly, as Videl's jet-copter was moving in closer to the kill, having dropped to five stories above the ground and was hanging back at least 30 meters, another event occurred. One of the criminals sitting in the back of the Security Truck, who was unseen till this very moment, opened the back doors and began shooting at the gang's ground pursuers with an FN MAG support gun set up on a tripod. They heavy weapon sent bullets hurling straight for the police hover cars, easily tearing up the one at the head of the pack. With its forward engine and hover-pad stuffed, the car crashed, stacking the other two behind it in a mind-boggling crash. Thankfully the cops only suffered minor injuries.

The sight didn't alter Videl's decision however, and she went for it, swooping in low while avoiding the FN MAG at the back. Gohan gritted his teeth, watching nervously as the girl moved her copter to hover over the very top of the truck. Then, in a surprising, bald move, she leapt out of her jet and landed on the top of it. She landed well with such confidence it even surprised Gohan at her abilities. He nodded, obviously impressed. Her jet-copter pulled away to land, set on auto-pilot the moment its driver left it.

"_Wow, that was smooth,"_ the young Saiyan thought. _"She might actually make this work…if she can stop them…"_

Then, as Videl got up, the two bandits sitting in the back of the vehicle where the cash was stored started shooting up at the girl through the roof using some sort of armor piercing bullets. The raven haired girl leapt around, a little bit surprised. Gohan was too, the young Saiyan clenching his fists in reaction to this sudden turn of events. They both thought the thing was bulletproof. As it turns out, no armor can stop those sorts of high-velocity rounds. It was then, as Videl was leaping from left to right across the roof, one of the bandits scored a lucky shot, hitting her in her left thigh and right shoulder. The girl yelped in surprise and pain, tripped and staggered by the wounds inflicted. She staggered back, losing her footing and falling from the roof of the vehicle.

Everything happened all at once then, Gohan catching this and immediately shooting into action. Powering up his ki to maximum output without the use of his aura, he super speeded down, reaching his stricken class-mate in 0.3 seconds. Just as her feet left the truck completely and she was falling over the side, Gohan swooped in at super fast speeds and caught her in his arms, carrying her bridal style and flying on, bypassing the truck. The driver at the front saw the Gold Fighter fly by, and was bewildered out of his mind.

Realizing that she hadn't plummeted to a horrible fate, Videl opened her eyes. Feeling incredibly high winds whipping at her face and body, she looked around in surprise before looking to see who had saved her. The raven haired girl got quite a start when she saw that she was saved by the figure she had had under suspicious for well over 24 hours now; the Gold Fighter. Her eyes widened in surprise, all feelings of pain washing away to be replaced by that numb feeling of astonishment. The golden haired, teal eyed Saiyan glanced at her, expression all serious.

"Don't worry, I've got you," he said. Videl didn't say a word, but just nodded, still staring in surprise. Glaring back ahead of him, Gohan figured it was time for a little payback. The bandits have had their fun.

Hooking round through the air, the Super Saiyan warrior spun around and landed in the middle of the highway. He set Videl to her feet, but kept his left arm wrapped around her to hold her up. As further support, the girl wrapped her arms around his chest, staring in the same direction he was to see the truck approaching them at the same high speeds it was using to lose their pursuers. Now the tables have turned on them, but one question still remained. How do you stop a one-ton vehicle going at over 100 miles an hour?

Videl grew more and more worried as the truck drew closer, showing no signs whatsoever of stopping. She looked up, seeing the Gold Fighter glaring straight ahead with flared eyes of anger. Considering his look and expression, Videl turned back, eyes widening when she saw how close the car was. It was only a 100 meters away now!

Slowly, Gohan turned on his side, and raised his right arm. The raven haired girl the Gold Fighter held thought he was plain loco if he was planning on stopping that truck with his bare hand. This was beyond his call; he was way out of his league! The young Saiyan however, had other plans. A current of golden electricity ran up his right arm, sending sparks when it reached his opening hand. Fingers stretched out and palm held out fully, the golden haired warrior fixed his best death glare with the vehicle, now only 30 meters away and closing. The man in the driver's feet increased speed, planning on making pancakes out of both of them. Videl held her breath, heart racing as the truck closed in.

Then, as the van was within impact range, Gohan acted. In a flash of light, the young Saiyan sent a shockwave coursing through the air that struck full on with the truck with greater force then it at in its forward momentum run. The truck's crumple zone was literally disintegrated and the whole face of the vehicle was turned to mush at the opening blast of the shockwave. The strength of the blast seemingly increased around the middle of the process as the whole exterior of the truck crumpled up before being sent flying back. Performing a flip through the air, the vehicle crashed to the ground 50 meters away from the Gold Fighter and Videl, the crushed up vehicle coming to rest in a battered heap.

Well, that certainly put the chase to an end. Those bandits will be feeling that for weeks while sitting in prison. Even if they were all bandaged up, they would still be suffering after shocks for the next two months or so.

Lowering his arm, the Gold Fighter sighed and glanced down at the girl he was helping up. Videl was staring wide eyed and pale white at the sight before her, still looking a little shaken at what had happened. Seriously, her heart skipped a beat at the second the truck was upon them, only to continue beating as it was blasted back by a force far greater then what even a rhino could produce. Gulping, the girl trembled as she looked up at the man who had saved her, seeing him staring down at her with that ever serious expression. When he saw the girl look up at him, the young Saiyan lowered his head to her, his serious expression toned with a look of concern.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

It was at this question the girl finally regained her regular mood and strengths. Scowling, she pushed him away; only to push her self away when she found out it was like trying to move a brick wall. She staggered back, at the same time the young Saiyan relinquished his arm around her without resistance, looking a little baffled.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" the girl growled, taking a step forward and trying to appear okay. The first movement was to prove agonizing as bolts of pain shot up her body from the deep, bloody gash in her leg formed by one of the bullets that hit her. This was immediately added on by the wound that was pumped into her right shoulder. Wincing first, the girl then cried out in pain and fell to her knees, gripping her shoulder and shutting her eyes tightly. She was really hurt.

Stepping towards her, the young Saiyan knelt beside her and fumbled in his pocket for a certain item. When he found it, he pulled it out and held it up to the girl, seeing her look up at him in response with a pained expression. Gohan held up a green bean to her, still looking concerned and wrapping his left arm around her, hoping that it would help.

"Here, take this. It will help," he stated. Videl, blinking a couple of times, glanced down at the bean he held in his hand. Immediately after seeing what it was, she glared up at him with a flared expression.

"Is this some kind of joke?" she asked. "How will a stupid bean help me?" Gohan looked slightly taken aback at her response. But the care and concern he felt for her overcame his usual mood and he pushed on, holding the bean closer to her mouth.

"Please take it Videl. Trust me, it _will_ help," the young Saiyan continued. "It's a magical herb. It will heal your wounds…" Videl glared at him more hotly, but then began considering things a bit more. Glancing from his face to the bean a couple of times, the girl eventually gave in and snatched the bean from his hand.

"Fine," she replied, popping the little thing in her mouth and chewing it. At first it tasted like any ordinary bean, and nothing seemed to happen at this moment. So, she kept chewing. After the bean was reduced to mash in her mouth, she swallowed. A couple of seconds passed, and still nothing happened, the pain in her right arm and leg remaining. But then, in an instantaneous bolt of rejuvenation, the girl felt her energy and full strength return to her. To add to it, the bullet wounds healed up and the blood disappeared altogether. At this new feeling, the girl stood up, followed by her savior. Gohan smiled when he saw her get to her feet, and looked down at her.

He watched with amusement and happiness as Videl checked herself out, flexing her hands and arms, while cranking her shoulder. She checked every part of her body to see how well it functioned now, and it came as a complete surprise to her that she felt much better then ever. Even old wounds that had recently healed up were gone, with no scars shown on her whatsoever.

After extensive checking, the girl glanced up at the Gold Fighter, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

"W-What was that you gave me?" she asked. The young Saiyan shrugged in response, still smiling lightly.

"Like I said, it's a magical herb," Gohan replied. "Basically it's just a rare bean called a Senzu Bean. It heals battle scars, wounds, injuries, and restores energy and strength." Videl blinked, still staring at him in amazement. She then glanced down at her body, checking herself again before looking up, a scowl taking shape.

"Well…thanks…" The Gold Fighter grinned, this one making Videl feel strange inside.

"Don't mention it," he replied, his monotone expression in his voice remaining. He showed no thrill, leaping emotion or concern in it. It was just dry, dullness. But it suited the image of a hero he was portraying. With a final nod, he turned on his heel and began walking over to the truck, Videl watching him stride forward for a few moments before running to catch up with him.

The pair eventually got to the truck and inspected the wreck for a moment. Gohan thought that maybe he had overdid it a little, while Videl just whistled and scratched her head, wondering how anyone could have survived something like this. Then, after a moment of observation, the Gold Fighter walked forward to the vehicle lying on its side and began working away at it. During the time Gohan was checking the damaged specks of the vehicle, the police arrived at the scene in the form of 6 hover cars and 13 officers. Spilling out onto the desert, they flanked around the area, guns and hand cuffs in hand. From here, Videl and the support crew watched as the Gold Fighter ripped the roof off of the truck completely with ease, before watching him begin to pry out the injured, shaken and fear stricken bandits inside.

As soon as the first guy was out, he ran over to the police and hid behind the nearest officer, scared and pissing his pants. Even though he was cuffed and shoved inside one of the cars, he was still begging to be kept away from that 'blonde-haired monster'. Videl couldn't help but laugh at the frightened bandits as they were hauled away and taken back to the city.

With his work done, the young Saiyan dusted his hands and placed his hands on his hips, glancing over at Videl and the police men. He saw the officers staring at him with admiration, while the raven haired girl in the centre just gave him a puzzled expression. After a moment of staring, Gohan smiled a small smile and saluted to the girl in the centre.

"I believe you can handle things from here," he stated. "And I hope I'll see you again soon, Miss Satan." With that, he turned on his heel and took off, blowing dust everywhere. Upon reaching a certain altitude, he shot off into the distance, the police officers staring after him in shock. Videl did too, and waved back to him seconds after he had disappeared.

"Yeah…see yah…"

It took a while for recovery, but eventually Videl managed to pull herself together, and picked up where she left off. After finding the landing spot of her jet-copter, the girl hopped in and took off, planning on heading back to school. If her sense of timing was correct, then she knew that it was the second lesson now. Boy these hours of work were tough on the muscles, she had to admit…

* * *

_**Some time later…**_

Videl returned to school right on expected time and headed down to her second class. It came as some bad fortune to her that she had missed recess, but what was she going to do, it was school. However, she did manage to sneak in a quick bite of an apple before moving on to Math. When she got to her seat in her class, in between her two good friends Gohan and Eraser, she immediately hit the books. Of course, there were no problems whatsoever, and everything carried on as normal. Well, you could hardly call her working life normal…more like unique with a tinge of excitement.

While continuing her work at school with her pardon problems averted, she couldn't help but wander off from her studies and think about the Blind Bandit, comparing him to the boy from the Cell Games. Even with all her brain rattling and detail checking, she could never figure him out. This mystery was beyond her ability to handle. Little did she know however, was that the Gold Fighter was sitting right next to her, and she never suspected him to be Gohan. The young Saiyan's copy had played its part well, with the original easily able to take his place once again. No one even suspected a thing, and there were plenty of witnesses to say that Gohan never left the classroom. Videl accepted it easier then expected.

The day continued without any trouble, even though Videl was still a little ticked about having her job slowly taken over by a blonde haired nobody who just showed up on her turf one day.

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	50. Helpful Hand

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Helpful Hand_

For the next few days things dragged on pretty slow since the chase incident. Constant hours were had stuck in classes, with very little to do except study and learn. As of here, there was nothing out of the ordinary going on for the high school students, who moved on through their day to day lessons without any trouble. However there were some things going down with Gohan and Videl's timetables. For starters, they were both constantly interrupted during class time by the need to take flight from school and save the day from would be criminals making jumps in the city, and really needed to be stopped. For most of the time, these were events that not even the SCPD could handle. All they needed was some heavy firepower on their side to stop these criminals from getting way with their actions, and it was Videl who proved to be that perfect candidate for the job.

Well…she used to be anyway…

Suddenly, after only two weeks since Gohan's arrival at Orange Star High School, even the police were beginning to consider calling in the Gold Fighter instead of Videl to help them out. Every time they brought in the daughter of the champ to help them out, it turned out that she could barely hold her own anymore. These new criminals were proving to be a lot tougher for all of them, especially the raven haired girl heroine. Already she had had five narrow misses. First was with the chase, a second was getting singed by a flamethrower, third a barrage of .45 ACP bullets fired by a whole squad of bandits, forth a exploding RPG round, and finally nearly getting forked in the back by a robber with a knife from behind. Out of the 8 times she had helped the police over these two weeks, the Gold Fighter was always there to bail her out. Even though most of the time she was doing well, she had to be saved on all five incidents. It was thanks to him she was still alive, and despite this, Videl was pissed.

"Darn him!" Videl shouted, slamming her fists on her desk in front of her, startling the other students around her. "This is the last straw! Next time I see him, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!"

It was Extended Studies, and the raven haired girl had been caught up in a saved memory of a previous criminal incident she was involved with. This was the most recent; saved from being stabbed in the back by a crook, her savior once again being the Gold Fighter! Her mind was a whirl, and she was on the verge of pulling out all her hair due to anger and frustration. Thanks to her little outburst, she had reawakened the class, especially the teacher, who had been peacefully reading her book. When she saw it was Videl throwing a tantrum, she let it slide and went on with reading. The girl would calm down soon enough…

As expected, Videl soon enough quieted down, sinking back into her seat when she saw all eyes plastered onto her. Growling, she folded her arms over her chest and lay down on her desk, chin set upon her crossed arms. Eraser and Gohan, her two closest friends sitting on either side of the raven haired girl, glanced at each other in surprise. Since she had laid forward, they could clearly see each other, but that was no big deal. Shrugging, they both went down with her, trying to take a glance at her expression.

Eraser smiled in a friendly manner. "Hey Vid!" she exclaimed. "Is something troubling you?"

Gohan smiled as well, glancing into her crystal clear eyes now filled with anger. "You seem to be venting a lot of stress over some guy giving you a hard time," the young Saiyan said, tilting his head at her. "You want to talk about it?" Videl glanced at him, sneering.

"No…" Gohan just smiled looking up over at Eraser, who also looked over at him kind. Out of earshot, they whispered to each other.

"Boy, I sure do feel sorry for the guy at the receiving end of her anger," Eraser passed on to the young Saiyan. Gohan nodded, giving a rather quizzed look in return.

"He must have done something to really tick her off…" Unfortunately for the pair of them, Videl had heard every word passed on between them. Giving up on keeping this bottled up, she sat up and threw her hands into the air, letting out a groan of annoyance. She fisted her hands and began looking between the two of them, using a rather harsh glare beyond their liking. Both Gohan and Eraser edged away, in fear of being yelled at.

"It's not what he's done it's what he's doing!" Videl hissed at them, both of them staring at her wide-eyed. "The Gold Fighter!"

Eraser stared at her in surprise, a puzzled expression crossing over her once fear filled look. "Well," she began. "What's he doing that's making you so negative, Videl?"

Videl turned on her, eyes flaring. "He's saving me! That's what!"

"But," Gohan cut in. "How is that bad? Surely having your life and safety taken into consideration by another person is good news, especially when put into certain danger. No one wants to bare the guilt of losing someone they care about…" Videl glared at him again, brow furrowed and a very serious look crossing her visage.

"Boy, you've certainly put a lot of thought into this," she said to him, turning to the young Saiyan a bit more. "Would you care to share a bit more of these thoughts with us, Gohan?" she asked, ears opening up so to listen. Gohan, obviously the Gold Fighter she was directing her anger towards now, smiled and shrugged to her. Giving a very suggestive look, he began passing her his thoughts and feelings on this matter.

"Well, look at it this way," the young Saiyan said. "If any ordinary person was saved by another, someone who you would know on a day-to-day basis etc, that savior would usually ask for something in return for saving that person's life. Now, take a look at the situation involving you and the Gold Fighter…" he trailed off for a split second, new thoughts kicking themselves into action. _'Boy, I'm really exploiting the use of this thought sharing time…_' After a few more milliseconds of consideration, he decided what-the-heck and went away with it. Heck, secretly on a one person level, he didn't deny any of this. "When you were saved by the Gold Fighter, did he ask for anything in return?"

Videl, hearing this, shook her head. "No…" Using this as reassurance, Gohan continued.

"Unlike any other person, he didn't ask for anything in return maybe because he really cares for you, and looks out for you for just that reason," the young Saiyan said, shrugging again. "Like you, he fights crime and protects people. From your experience, you should be able to understand what he's doing, Videl. Most of the time you don't need a reason to help somebody, and sometimes when a reason just happens to be a particular person, then that one person helping out does what he needs to do…"

Videl and Eraser were staring at him in surprise, blinking as they processed the information. It was after a few moments of staring at the young Saiyan, the blonde haired girl beside Videl smiled and shrugged.

"Well, that's good enough for me," the girl exclaimed. Without any further questions, comments, criticisms or complaints, Eraser turned back to her work and went on to writing away into her notepad, doing whatever she pleased.

Videl was rather struck by Gohan's words, and took a few moments longer to rethink the situation. Gee, if the Gold Fighter were anything like her best friend sitting beside her, then she'd find it pretty hard to be mad at him. At that moment, she felt very little anger and frustration towards the Gold Fighter, with almost a great deal of it replaced by a feeling of guilt. Videl felt pretty ashamed at being a little too hard on the blonde haired crime fighter, but what could she do? It was her nature. However, after a few more seconds of careful thought, the raven haired girl finally came to a suitable level with her outbursts and feelings.

Smiling, Videl turned to Gohan and gave him one of her kinder-hearted expressions. "I never looked at it that way, Gohan," she said. "Thanks…I…I really needed that…" The young Saiyan smiled back with a nod.

"That's alright. And I…guess it can get stressful sometimes," he said as well, not afraid to admit it. "Days are long and problems arise in all shapes and sizes; mostly when we least expect it…" Videl batted her eyelashes at him, a warm feeling coming to her from out of the blue. She never really acted this way towards a friend, but Gohan was different from anyone else. He wasn't like Eraser nor was he like Sharpener (definitely not); he was…Gohan she guessed.

"Do you…_actually_ believe in fate, Gohan?" she asked. The spiky haired student sighed and tilted his head to that question. He sort of had a tinge with fate; it never really crossed his mind.

"When it comes down to it, fate is considered by many and can be referred to for a whole lot of things," the young Saiyan replied, smiling. "Whether for things we never expected to happen or something we do expect, we can't deny the fact that fate does exist. But it's only based on our actions, what we plan on doing and whether we choose to do it or not. Driven by us, it can also occur through means of development: thought, action, friendship…even love." He didn't know why he did, but he felt like hyphenating that last one.

"In another category, destiny is completely different to fate. It's based on the matter of fulfilling something that we have been placed forward for, or is created by the choice to create it and, in a way of fate, we make the decision to proceed or not." He looked into her eyes, giving his friend a smile that could melt ice. "In other words…I do believe…"

Videl smiled, her cheeks warming a bit. Just a minute or so ago, she was fuming with bottled up anger. But now, as she was speaking to Gohan heart-to-heart, she felt like she was drifting through a dream of some kind. She couldn't describe it; the feelings were just overpowering her. She felt so light…

"It was just a simple question, Gohan," the raven haired girl exclaimed, eyes wavering. The young man beside her shrugged.

"Just filling in the blanks," he replied casually. Videl smiled brightly, eyes still locked with her friend's as they sat in silence. Too bad nobody noticed this exchange, but it did give Gohan the time he needed to see to his thoughts about this very moment as he gazed into her sapphire eyes…

"_She really has changed a lot since I last saw her at the tournament,"_ Gohan thought, watching her give him one last nod before turning back to her work. She had calmed down now, and was able to work without any other distractions in her mind. _"Back then she was rough on the outside, really hard to get through too. She still is now, but has lowered that barrier a bit. I guess using a light touch is slowly getting me closer to that point again. Her spirit remains strong, as well as her heart, mind and body. That strength within her still gets to me…and still draws me to her…"_

"…_but I just…can't say I love her yet…it's too soon…"_ He furrowed his brow at this, showing his uncertainty to that thought. Just then Videl glanced up at him again, with Gohan quickly hiding away that thoughtful expression with that kind mask he always wore. They both smiled at each other again…

A few moments later, the pair was interrupted by the sound of the school bell, signifying the end of this lesson and the beginning of lunch. Collecting their stuff, the two friends, along with the rest of the class, headed out to eat.

* * *

_**Later that day…**_

Sitting down at his favorite spot at the _Café de la_, Gohan proceeded on with one of his favorite acts of the day: enjoying a nice iced-coffee. Tapping his foot with a thought out beat and smiling brightly, he took a good, long sip of his beverage and sighed at the end of it. Relaxing his limbs, he felt the cool feeling of the drink seep in, with its taste sticking to his tongue in the process. Man, the guys who worked here made one hell of a dessert.

As he was sitting quietly on his chair on the outside table made for two, under the shade of the sun umbrella, the young Saiyan failed to notice a familiar person approaching him from behind. Taking another sip, the young Saiyan was perfectly unawares of anything going on around him before it was too late.

"If you keep drinking iced-coffees, you're going to die of caffeine overdose," a feminine voice amusingly stated. Gohan nearly choke, immediately judging volume and presence so close that it was almost intimate. He literally jumped in his seat, turning around with a surprised expression in play. Standing a few feet behind him, he saw Videl standing there with a smile in play and hands held behind her back. Gohan blinked, seeing the girl tilt her head at him and grin. "Hey there, Gohan!"

Gohan, seeing who it was, finally registered to the moment and smiled back. "Hey there, Vid!" he replied. Well, what do you know, nick name basis now. With that familiar, rare courtesy, the young Saiyan stood up and pulled up a chair beside his. He then gestured towards it in an offering. "Please…have a seat…" Videl grinned.

"_Boy, he's really sweet,"_ she mused in her mind, nodding to him. Approaching the chair, the girl took it and sat down. She smiled up at him and nodded as he gently slid her into the table. "Thanks, Gohan…"

The young Saiyan nodded back before waving over to the waitress standing by, who had just finished filling out an order from another couple sitting not too far from them. "Pardon me, could we get a strawberry sundae here please?" Gohan called, attracting the woman's attention. Nodding in response, the service maid jotted down to order. With that, she headed off inside to fill out both orders. Smiling in satisfaction, the young Saiyan retook his seat and pulled up to the table beside his friend.

Videl smiled back at him. "I see you know what I like," she exclaimed. Her friend shrugged back.

"Hey, we came here…what…three times in two weeks? Come on," Gohan replied. "Anyone would catch on to a favorite dessert of a friend, especially if they've been spending a lot of time together. I mean…heck…you know _very_ well that I like my iced-coffee home made!" Videl nodded, still looking amused.

"True…true. So," she began, flicking one of her pigtails over her shoulder. "How was your day? Well…heh…silly question too ask since we basically share every class together." Gohan smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"But you'd like to know on personal experience," Gohan continued in place for her. "Because you're wondering if I'm doing okay." Videl nodded, scratching her cheek and giving the impression of nervousness.

"Y-Yeah…that's it," she stammered in response. Gohan couldn't help but become interested in her expression and tone of voice. Over the short time he had spent at school, going from class to class with his friends at his side, he took some time to observe people's interactions, as well as the actions of his fellow classmates. Sharpener and Eraser were starting to tie up loose ends again, Erran, Lime and Anya have matured a lot, and Videl…well…in the past two weeks she's made startling changes.

At first when Gohan first met her under the Blind Bandit disguise, he saw that she was a hot-headed, strong young woman with a lot to prove. She was well influenced in martial arts of course, and her tough as nails attitude made it hard for anyone to approach her. However, back then he saw that she had a different side to her. Under that entire persona, he could sense a strong spirit with a very kind personality to boot. When approached correctly, she would crumble…or maybe it was just _his_ influence over people. But then, many months later, pulling into the seventh year since the Cell Games, he once again met the same girl at school. From here he tried that different, casual approach, acting like the new guy who knew very little. Once again Videl started off tough as nails as always, but gradually, he began to notice how much she was warming up to him. She would still keep up her regular personality around others or competitors (Gold Fighter made an exception), but not around him.

Maybe she was growing to like him more then just a friend over these few days…

Shaking these thoughts out for the moment, Gohan returned to the scene, smiling as he looked his friend over. Taking immediate note of her expression, he grinned and tilted his head at her. "My, my, is Videl Satan stuttering?" he asked in an announcing tone. "_The_ Videl Satan is actually nervous around a close friend!" The raven haired girl in front of him managed to shake off her present mood and moved forward, punching him in the arm. With no surprise again, it felt like hitting a brick wall.

"You shut up," she replied playfully. "I'm trying to be friendly here." Gohan grinned.

"You always were," he exclaimed in a joyous tone. Videl nodded folding her arms over her chest. Her friend sat up, exercising his shoulders before collecting his iced-coffee into his hand.

"And I suppose that was a guess," she said. After taking a sip from his drink, Gohan shook his head while nodding towards her.

"No guess, just good observations," the young Saiyan replied. Videl just chuckled, still waiting patiently for her strawberry sundae. It eventually came by, with both of them thanking the waitress for her services before the two of them resumed conversation. "So, you want to know how my day was, correct?" he asked, receiving a nod from the girl beside him. "Well, it wasn't bad. Not too dull, not too good…I'd say so-so. How was your day?" he asked. Videl shrugged, propping her hand on the table's surface while swirling the bottom of her sundae after sticking the spoon through.

"It was cool. Nothing out of the ordinary so far," she replied, smiling up at him. Her gaze could be assumed as admirable, since she was showing a great interest in the young man sitting on her right. "But I wouldn't call it _that_ for the other days. Not since 24 hours ago, perhaps even the day before that, there was a trifle with a few bandits at a convenient store when the Gold Fighter showed up. Now that's out of the ordinary," she exclaimed. Gohan nodded, listening to his friend intently. He chuckled as well, remembering that scene well.

"Yeah, I guess it must have been," he exclaimed. "Well…since you say this guy can lift a car over his head no problem." Videl slapped her hand on the service and gave him an exclamation point.

"That's it!" she said in triumph. "That's exactly what he did. The bandits tried to escape when he showed up, but as they tried to drive off, the Gold Fighter lifted the car up with one hand!" the raven haired girl continued, acting out the scene so that her friend could get a gist of it. "He held it above his head as if it were just a toy, shook it like a maraca and dropped it to the ground! The guys literally pissed their pants"

Gohan acted surprised, nodding with a look that showed he was impressed. Inwardly, he wasn't surprised and understood why Videl would be. "Wow…bet that was amazing," he exclaimed. It felt weird, you know…talking about yourself in that manner. The raven haired girl nodded rather enthusiastically, still smiling.

"Yeah, and the most amazing thing is that the only damage on the scene was made, not by the bandits, but by him," she stated, putting her fist down on the table to end that. Gohan raised an eyebrow in response. He was about to take another sip of his ice-coffee when he heard this.

"_What?! Did I damage something? Man…that can't be good,"_ he thought, furrowing his brow. "What damage exactly?" Videl shrugged, still smiling. Taking a bite out of her sundae and swallowing, she looked back up with a grin.

"Although it was nothing consequential," she said, taking another spoonful of the sundae. "It did scare the hell out of the robbers. Their car was wrecked, that was that. And…maybe a bit of the road too…" Gohan sighed slightly, relieved that it wasn't anything of a criminal nature.

"Well, as long as he wasn't the one that raided that convenient store," the young Saiyan said with a laugh. Videl had to laugh at that as well, smiling at the end.

"True," she exclaimed. "It would have been a shame. The guy's built up such a good reputation. It would be a waste if he messed it up now. But…" Videl lowered her head, looking a bit disappointed. Gohan grew concerned over this, certain that whatever she had to share certainly wasn't good. "…my reputation is the one that's gone down the drain. I'm beginning to think that the city doesn't need…_me_ anymore. Everything that has happened has happened so fast, I just…I just can't keep up anymore. Ever since the Gold Fighter came…it's just been…well…you know."

Gohan looked down, just as Videl did. Between the two, the young Saiyan began to think, about everything that has happened and what his friend was saying to him. Well, it didn't take long for him to respond, as he was quick on his feet when it came to this. Looking up again, he saw Videl staring at her sundae with a look of pure disappointment on her face. When he looked upon her expression, he was hit full force by this, and in kind began to speak to her.

"Listen Videl," he began, the raven haired girl looking up at him. "You are really good at what you do…fighting crime and protecting people. You've been doing it for years now, and it's not something someone can take away from you just like that!" Gohan stated, clicking his fingers to solidify his point. "You've earned a lot of respect for what you've done for this city, and the people will never forget it…ever. When the people and the police need your help, you rise to the occasion to do so, and…well…when you need help…the Gold Fighter responds to that call. It's just how things are sometimes…everyone needs a helping hand."

Videl stared at him, blinking as she processed what he had said to her. Gee, this is the second time today he had managed to pull her out of a down mood…he was really good at it. It was only after seeing him smile warmly to her did she smile back, eyes suddenly beginning to waver in a new light. "Did you say that yourself?" she asked. Gohan nodded his head slightly, leaning back into his seat.

"Yeah. And hey, you'll never believe this," he exclaimed. "But sometimes even I need help once in a while…" Videl laughed at his sense of humor, and was soon joined by the young Saiyan himself in that happy little display between good friends. Hey, it was pretty funny, even though most of it was true. Even though Gohan may be the strongest in the universe now, he wasn't afraid to accept help from friends and family members.

"That's priceless, Gohan," Videl said, calming her laughter down. She smiled at him, eyes still bright and wavering in the light. "Come on, quit kidding around. Nobody's that perfect…"

Gohan chuckled and shook his head. _"You have no idea…"_ he thought, smiling up at his friend again. "I'm known for it. But then again, I know I'm not like anybody else…because we're all different…" Videl nodded in agreement.

"Definitely," she exclaimed. "But even with our differences, we can still relate to each other in some ways like family, bonding through friendships etc. You know…" Gohan nodded, still smiling. Setting his drink down for the moment, he carried on as normal.

"Exactly. Now it only makes you think what would happen if we were all the same…" Videl sighed, nodding while propping her head on the table. Gohan took another sip from his drink while it was standing stationary, allowing him to kick back as well.

For a moment the two sat in silence, basking in this afternoon and enjoying the time they had to kill. It was only after a while did either of them decided to speak up. Videl surprised herself by finding that she was admiring the young male sitting right in front of her. "Why is it that you always find a way to cheer me up when I'm down?"

"I listen and watch…" Gohan replied. "And I stick close to my friends…"

Videl smiled and took another spoonful of her sundae and ate it. Incidentally, she got a smear of cream on her upper lip. Gohan saw this and decided to fix it. Taking a napkin from the side, he unfolded it and leaned over. Reaching out, he wiped that bit from the girl's upper lip, and pulled back. He smiled warmly at her and Videl smiled back. In an action that was beyond her own control as it was spurred on by hidden feelings deep inside of her, she blushed. Gohan saw this, but spared her the moment and the pair just went on enjoying their time at _Café de la…_

* * *

_**Meanwhile…**_

_**Up on the lookout…**_

On the other side of the world, up at the highest point above earth besides Capsule Corp's satellites was the well known lookout, a sanctuary and check point the Z-fighters used during conflicts etc. It was also the seat and balcony belonging to the Guardian of Earth, and it also served as his home. It was here where all the most important matters were taken into consideration and solved, all of them involving the existence of life and continued peace on earth. However, there were some things a God could not control, like free will…

As well as certain other things that was beyond his knowledge…

Anyway, life up on the lookout was carrying on as per usual, with no changes made to the daily routines. Around this time, Piccolo was meditating on the forward parts of the large, marble made platform: legs and arms folded with his eyes closed and was floating several feet above the ground. The Namekian warrior was too deep in his meditation time to really care much about anything else that was going on. While he continued on with what he was doing, Mr. Popo quietly watered the vegetation and lined gardens up on the lookout, cheerful as always. The small amounts of life up here, which were the rare White-Wing Butterflies fluttering around, did not disrupt the day to day chores of the lookout residents. Then finally there was Dende: Guardian of Earth and soul onlooker of this floating balcony. He was happily walking around, senses extended down towards earth far below. In order to be able to see things you couldn't, you have to keep an open mind. Well, that's Dende's belief…

All was well for now, with very little activity going on. It was quiet, a suitable environment for three of earth's protectors to carry on with their present duties. All except Piccolo, who was too busy looking back on the past and referring to the thoughts he kept on his person at all times. This method would help solve some of the puzzling questions on his mind, and keep him focused for later tasks. But then, when all seemed good for the time being, Piccolo's services as a protector were suddenly required…

The Namekian's eyes flew open, a shocked look crossing his serious expression. Dende and Mr. Popo were hit with it too, both of them looking in the direction they sensed the incoming ki signature. They had reason to be because right before their very eyes making them all jump a bolt of blue lightning struck the lookout. It hit the very point Dende stood by when looking down onto the planet. Smack and bang, right in the centre of the path leading up to the building stationed on the platform! Within seconds of its precise strike, the bolt of lightning shot up into a warping flame, burning brightly and catching everyone on the lookout off guard.

Mr. Popo, who was closest to this unnatural phenomenon, tripped and fell backwards, dropping his watering can. Even when he was on his backside he continued crawling away, eventually getting to his feet when he was at a safe distance away from the burning flame. Piccolo, who now felt the need to be on guard, dropped out of his meditative position and marched forward! All eyes stared into the brightness of the flame, a gale wind picking up and sending dust all over the place. But in time, a few more seconds after the lightning bolt had morphed into this aura like shape, a figure within the light took shape. All at once, the aura died out, leaving a crackling bio-field of blue electricity surrounding the centre of the source.

The source turned out to be a man of some sorts, one possessing a dark ki signature beyond anything Piccolo had sensed before. It felt very unfamiliar, and though it was faint, it made his skin crawl. With all three of them still watching, they saw the man get to his feet, his back turned to them. When the unknown warrior was on his feet, he paused for a moment, before glancing over his shoulder when he sensed somebody behind him. It was then, after easily recognizing the three in his sights, he smirked and turned around fully, revealing himself for who he truly was. The sight of his face and form shocked Piccolo and Dende more then they had been before. Even though Mr. Popo didn't know who he was, he was still terrified none to say the least.

The man was tall, standing to about a foot higher then Goku. He was also quite muscular, but bore the form that suited a martial artist around his strength and skill level, like a Saiyan. From his previous state, he now wore shin high, combat boots and black, baggy trousers covered up by the high-calves of his boots. To hold them down, his boots were strapped firmly, ensuring a stronger stance. He also wore a red vest, which parted around his chest, revealing the muscle there. The collar around the vest stuck upwards, in almost Dracula like fashion. Over that thin vest, he wore a black jacket, sleeves tight like spandex with the entire wear strapped down by a couple of belts. On both hands, he also wore black, leather gloves with demon winged cuffs, and on both shoulders he wore silver, armored pauldrons. His entire left side and around that area was covered up by a long cape that was black on the outer surface and blood red underneath. He also had long, white hair that reached down to his waist, with a couple of bangs hanging in front of his forehead. His eye color was pure yellow, with black pupils, giving him that demon like look. And to complete it, he had two, black, angel wings growing from his back and a black saber sheathed at his right side where the cape didn't cover.

His appearance was strikingly familiar to both Piccolo and Dende, and although he looked fearsome, it was his legend and abilities that made him all the more terrifying. Everyone present at the scene was shaking in their boots.

"Piccolo, it's Scythe!" Dende shouted, stepping back in fear. The Namekian warrior stepped forward, standing a bit in the way of the planet's guardian but not fully masking him. From here, he was able to protect the young God of the Earth from harm.

"I know, Dende," the older Namekian replied before his glare turned into a furious death stare, one he was familiar for in battle. With eyes flashing, Gohan's former teacher began to vent out his fury on the dark spirit warrior standing before them. "I know what you're here for Scythe! You're here to fight Echo! But know this, he isn't here! And even if he was he wouldn't have time for any of your dark trash. So take it and get lost!"

The white haired fighter blinked, still keeping the group in his sights while maintaining his firm standing position. "Hmph. Did Echo tell you that?" he asked calmly. He then smiled, eyes flickering. "Well then, I can see why he would want me to stay away from him." Piccolo just glared, but was inwardly puzzled. The dark spirit blinked, still looking his opposition over with that edgy stare. "He's finally starting to understand…"

Silence fell for just a few moments, turning the scene into a sort of climactic event. It was soon after Piccolo brought up that one question that had just appeared in his mind the moment Scythe said, 'starting to understand'. The Namekian stepped forward, hands fisting and expression hardened. "Just what are you going to do to him?"

Scythe smirked. "If it comes to it…nothing," he stated. "Echo is the one searching for power. He hungers for it, fueling the darkness within him…" Piccolo scowled, slightly pissed at the warrior's attitude.

"Echo is a pure-hearted individual. There's no way he will turn to evil and greed," the Namekian stated. Scythe remained calm as always, responding to this in kind.

"It's the darkness in his past that I'm interested in finding," Scythe stated. "When the time comes, it will consume him, or if I find even the slightest hint of it in his memories, then I will influence it…and use it as a way to exploit his weaknesses."

Dende peaked around his protector, now hiding behind his cape. The young guardian glared at him, even though he was visibly sweating. "He says he's got a score to settle with you!" the Namekian stated. Scythe glanced at him, hearing this as clear as day. He smiled, eyes flashing.

"I see…" the dark spirit said, raising his left hand and fisting it tightly. A current of blue electricity shot up his arm, sending sparks out at the burst of energy. "He wants to meet me again…" With that, Scythe gave a final smirk and turned around. Coolly, he began to walk away, not caring what anger he had left behind bubbling inside of Piccolo. Speaking of which, the Namekian was seething, whereas Dende remained hidden and Mr. Popo watched the warrior walk off with fear in his expression. When the three saw Scythe reach the very edge of the lookout, they saw him look up into the skies above and grin. "Then I should give him what he wants…"

Raising his hands, the wings on his back outstretched and flowed with the breeze rushing by. Then, in that display of calmness, began to float up into the sky above. All the while, his smirk remained. "I will find him…and we'll finally settle the score once and for all…"

Piccolo growled, finally having enough of his talk. Throwing his right hand forward, the green skinned warrior let out a yell and unleashed a golden ki blast. The attack streaked through the air, heading straight for its target. But then, faster then anyone could count on, Scythe vanished in a flash of blue and red lights. A second later, Piccolo's blast shot past the very spot Scythe was floating in three stories above the lookout. It streaked across the skies, disappearing into the distance. Well, no surprise there.

As Piccolo lowered his arm, Dende came out of hiding behind him and looked at the airspace they last saw Scythe. He had seen what had happened, and after looking on what had transpired, he became worried.

"Should we tell Gohan?" the guardian asked. Piccolo shook his head.

"No," he replied. "Gohan knows Scythe is looking for him. He will be expecting him to show up…" Mr. Popo however had other feelings on this matter.

"But what about the others?" he asked while stepping forward. "Surely we should warn them of this new threat!" The older Namekian looked down, his glare moving across the horizon.

"Don't bother," Piccolo stated. "Scythe is only looking for Gohan. That's his only motivation. He won't bother the others, except only to ask for directions. If it's clear enough, he won't do anyone any harm until he kills the one he's looking for…"

Dende sweat-dropped, looking up into the skies again. "Heh…some villain…"

"But don't sell him short," Piccolo continued. "Scythe is very dangerous! We both know that, and for the fact that he nearly took over the entire planet years ago! However, I doubt he'll be able to kill Gohan. He has no idea what he's up against…" Dende nodded in agreement, though he still looked a little nervous.

"You felt that guy's power…its stronger then Cell's…" Piccolo furrowed his brow.

"I'm afraid that's only the tip of the iceberg…"

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	51. Angel of Death

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Angel of Death_

With the school turnouts still going on strong, Gohan pulled into his forth week here. So far, things were just the same as always just like the usual routine: getting up in the morning, heading off to school, stopping the occasional criminal elements running around, and sit in class for the rest of the day then head off home. In between he would always spend time with his friends. Unlike some, he was having the time of his life; kicking back during classes since he already knew all of the stuff being taught and still managing to get the highest grades in the school. If there was any time to be anyone in the world, most guys would vote to be Gohan…

But everyone else didn't know what other life he had hidden underneath the disguise he kept up all day. Hiding the truth wasn't easy because things from the past occasionally came back to give him a hard time, which would make anyone curl up in fear the moment that event occurred. However, nobody knew that…

Gohan continued to hang around with Lime, Erran and Anya, catching up on the years missed. Remarkably enough, their group began hanging out with Videl's gang as well, Sharpener and Eraser finding it hard to adjust to the three since they have been arguing most of the time they had known each other. Gohan was able to talk them into cooperating, with all of them coming to a suitable understanding with each other. When they weren't arguing about the Cell Games, they were actually having a good time together. This would go on through recess and lunch, with a couple of the days used to spend some time on their own or in smaller groups. Videl would sometimes break away from Eraser and Sharpener to go spend some quality time with Gohan. He was always good to talk too, as well as good to look at.

It turned out to be quite a whirl for both of them. Videl had softened up a lot more, with her fondness of Gohan growing as they continued spending time with each other. The young Saiyan felt he was really getting somewhere with this, which came to no surprise…

A lot of fantasies came out of this development as well…

* * *

_**Late afternoon…**_

The sun had just set over the horizon, leaving a purple turning to night sky above the heads of the people of Satan City. The stars may not be clear at this point, but the lights of the city shone brightly with the bustling of night work. Those who had worked in the day were back at home, resting up for the later tomorrow. It would soon be bed time for everyone, but right now people were still killing some time after a working day. Some were still on couches watching TV, others on computers or were filling the time with other afternoon activities. Then there were other people who decided to clean themselves up before heading off to bed because… waking up so early was not just any ordinary chore.

Though Videl had no problem getting up she did have a long day today. Stopping a band of crooks was not easy on the muscles, especially crooks that were armed with mostly batons. Thanks to her services, as well as some hurt from the Gold Fighter, the bandits were stopped. Now, it was relaxation time.

Up in her private bathroom, the raven haired girl was taking a nice, warm shower. With steam bellowing out from the glass cubicle, fogging the doors and mirror, the young crime fighter happily hummed to herself as she lathered her long, black hair with shampoo. Her smooth, flawless skin shone with the layers of moisture flowing over her, droplets trickling down at painfully slow rates and her perfect form gone undermined by the young fighter. Videl was too caught up in her scrubbing up to care about anything else; it was too perfect a moment.

She sighed to herself as she turned towards the showerhead blasting the water over her, the mists of steam floating in the cubicle enveloping her in a humid environment. As she wiped her face with her hands, she opened her eyes and smiled. "This is the life," she whispered, closing her eyes again and washing the shampoo out of it. After which she began applying the conditioner, lathering it into the silky strands. After which she turned her back onto the running water again as she continued applying the solution. As she did so, she began thinking to herself…

"_Really…Gohan isn't a bad guy at all…"_ she thought, smiling at the memory of the spiky haired student. _"Not bad…pah…he's almost perfect, all he's missing is a good body…"_ She ran her delicate hands over her silky smooth body, rubbing her arms to get some of the sore and numbness out. The raven haired girl had to kick herself at her next thoughts. _"Come on girl, you've never seen him naked before. How can you tell under all those clothes he wears? I bet it's more then what you'd expect from a Greek God…"_ A bright blush streaked across her cheeks, her body warming up in a very profound way, and not just from the water pouring down on her. _"Maybe even more then the Blind Bandit…"_

She gazed up towards the ceiling, unable to see through the hot water vapor rising into the air. As Videl stared away, her mind continued playing on, on its own, making her feel very strange. _"Oh…I can't take it anymore! I've fallen in love with the guy, and it's only been four weeks!"_ she exclaimed in her mind. _"But…what do I do? How do I tell him! I can't just go up to him and say, 'Gohan, I'm in love with you!' That would be crazy, not to mention embarrassing if he doesn't feel the same way! Maybe…maybe he does like me…but…ah…I don't know…"_

As her mind continued to battle it out, a blast of steam suddenly lifted off of the ground, making the girl close her eyes and shake her head. When she opened them again, she still wore the same blush and loving smile. Her eyes became half-lidded at the memory of Gohan, seeing him smiling at her with that handsome visage plastered on him. It all started out so subtly. At first she was attracted to his kindness and personality, which what made them good friends in the beginning. But soon, after only a couple of weeks of knowing him, she became so attracted to his persona that her feelings for him pushed beyond that friendship line. And now, a couple more weeks later, she was in love with him…all of him! Oh, how she couldn't stop thinking about him. It was clouding her sights, these maddening feelings she was experiencing.

"_He's so sweet…"_ she thought, a frown suddenly coming onto her. _"But…how do I let him know how I feel…"_

"Why don't you just tell me?" a very familiar voice asked from behind her, making her jump and let out a cry of surprise. Just then, Videl felt a pair of muscle toned, strong, yet gentle arms wrap around her, pulling her back to a warm, strong body behind her. The girl's back pressed up against a hard chest and clearly felt six-pack, making her blush a bit more. In response the raven haired girl closed her legs tightly and crossed her arms over her breasts. She looked to the side, looking visibly nervous and a bit embarrassed. This was rather shocking…

"G-Gohan…?" she whispered. The young Saiyan behind her smiled and leaned in closer, pulling the naked girl in front of him closer.

"Why don't you just tell me that you like me?" he repeated, his voice low and cool. His warm breath tickled the back of Videl's neck, making her tremble weakly in his arms. "If you really like me that much, then you can just tell me. It doesn't have to be in front of everyone, it can be the next time we're on our own. It's easy…there's nothing to be afraid of. There's no shame with being in love…"

The girl turned her head, looking away. "I-I do love you, Gohan…but it's…it's just so…new to me. I've never…felt this way…towards anyone before…"

The young Saiyan's face, still not in view, gave a very mischievous smile and leaned in closer, coming right up to her right ear. From here, he whispered sweet nothings to her that made her feel warmer then before. "It's new to me too…but we can work it out together. But why should you feel ashamed, shy or embarrassed? Aren't I making you feel good now?" he asked, his right hand running over her stomach and moving down lower. His touch sent bolts of pleasure coursing through her systems, and when he reached the very spot most sensitive to her, the girl let out a moan, leaning into him all the more.

"Oh…y-yes…" she whispered, her limbs beginning to tremble more under his touch. This made the young Saiyan smile.

"There's so much more I can do for you," he whispered to her again. "Curious…?"

Videl's eyes closed and she panted heavily, the feelings of pleasure coming to her in waves now. But then again, it was only her mind playing tricks on her. When she opened her eyes and looked ahead of her, she found herself leaning against the wall of her shower cubicle, feeling nothing else but the warm steam enveloping her at the water coming down from the shower head. When she realized and remembered where she was, she stood up off the wall with her arms still crossed over her breasts and her legs squeezed together tightly. The blush remained as she stepped forward, looking down at the ground with a pleasure filled gaze.

"_Damn it,"_ she thought. _"I had to wake up!"_

"Miss Videl," the maid's voice suddenly called from the other side of her bathroom door, making the girl jump out of her pleasure resultant state. "Are you alright in there, ma'am? Did you call?" It was obvious she heard him yelp before.

The raven haired girl shook her head and looked up, looking all the more surprised. "Yes, I'm fine!" she replied.

* * *

_**The next morning…**_

The entire class was in early, all of them having filed into school with springs in their steps. It was easy to tell that they all had had a good night's sleep, and all of them were willing to get into their first lesson. Gohan and Videl's classroom had all its seats filled and was all a bustle with chat and energy. And as a further note, the whole gang was in; Erran, Lime, Sharpener, Eraser, Pencil and Gohan. All of them were present and were ready to get on with the lesson once the teacher arrives. However, they were still missing one member of the team, Videl, who was yet to arrive. They wondered why…

Well, their questions were laid to rest when the raven haired girl stepped into the classroom. Completely unawares of her arrival, Gohan just continued talking with Eraser and Sharpener. The three of them laughed at one of the jokes about the teacher Eraser had brought up, all of them killing some time till their other friend would join them. Right on the tick, before Gohan could say something Videl appeared out of the blue, surprising everyone as she took her seat. She hadn't advertised her presence, which was why everyone jumped at the sight of her.

"Oh! Morning, Videl!" Eraser exclaimed. "Did you sleep well?" she asked.

Videl glared at her. "Fine," she replied, sighing and resting back into her chair. Gohan tilted his head at her, watching her for a moment as she glanced over at him, still looking angry as usual. The young Saiyan smiled and nodded to her, giving her a wave.

"Hey there Vid!" he opened up in that friendly manner of his. "It's good to see you…"

Videl's mood did a complete 180 when she heard the young Saiyan speak, and in response she immediately sat up to a proper position. She smiled at him in kind and, though it was involuntarily, blushed lightly. "Morning Gohan!" she said in a surprisingly more cheerful voice then what she used when replying to Eraser. "How are you?" she asked. Gohan nodded to her.

"I'm alright. Thanks for asking," he replied with delight. Videl nodded affirmatively.

"That's good to hear…"

Gohan grinned. "So how are you? Good yourself?" he asked. Videl batted her eyelashes and nodded again with a look of happiness in her eyes.

"Yeah…I-I'm alright," she replied, blush becoming brighter.

Eraser and Sharpener were watching the two interact, with the blonde haired jock having to look over the girl's shoulder to see. Upon inspecting the scene, they both glanced at each other in surprise before shrugging and looking back. It came as a big shock to see how the two of them were exchanging hellos, as well as kind words like this. This was thoroughly edged by Videl's mood, the girl seemingly brightening up whenever the spiky haired student was around. This was telling them something.

As the two were exchanging friendly stares, Videl suddenly heard her watch go off. Both of them looking down at the offending wrist, the now annoyed girl raised it to her and pressed the red button beside the face. As soon as its call stopped, the raven haired girl began to speak into it. Once again, she felt her fighting instincts come over her in response to the need to be out there.

"Videl Satan speaking!" the raven haired girl said.

"_**Videl, this is Inspector Barkley! We have serious problems down at the mayor's office. The Red Shark Gang has taken him hostage, and their leader is demanding your father to step forward. We're trying to reach Mr. Satan but we can't, his line is busy! We're not sure how much longer we can stall!!!"**_ the clearly worried voice over the line informed. Videl's brow furrowed, a nervous feeling stretching over her serious expression. Guess things could get worse around here. Nodding in understanding, she replied immediately after the man had finished speaking.

"I'll be right there!" she stated. "If the man wants a fight, then he's got one!" Switching off her watch, she stood up and turned to Gohan. She looked a little disappointed now that she had to go. "Sorry Gohan, can we talk later?"

The young Saiyan nodded. He too was looking a little disappointed and worried. "Sure thing…best of luck then," he passed on in response. The raven haired girl nodded, giving him one last smile before quickly heading down the stairs and out the door. At the same time she reached the door, the teacher arrived, stepping in and getting quite a start when Videl ran straight past him. After watching her rush off, he let her sudden departure slide as he knew it must have been another call from the police department. He headed the rest of the way inside to begin the lesson.

Gohan furrowed his brow, clenching his fists nervously. He heard the situation over the speaker in Videl's watch, and he knew that it was bad news…real bad news. From personal experience, a hostage situation usually involved a lot of guns in the hands of trigger happy thugs, and he was well aware that Videl wasn't capable of dodging clear lined bullets. He gritted his teeth and glanced at his guitar case, sensing his sword calling from within it. As soon as his sights settled on his guitar case, his eyes narrowed and he sweated nervously. He had a feeling that this situation was going to turn ugly…

"_Well…here goes nothing…"_ he thought. In a quick move, the young Saiyan immediately copied himself in his seat, his original form slipping under the desk while leaving the cheap imitation. With that, the original Gohan reached out and grabbed his guitar case, emptying it of its sword while the copy-cat went on with the tasks at hand. They knew the routine…

Depositing the case and propping it against his desk, the young Saiyan strapped it around him before super speeding out of the room without anyone knowing. Within seconds, he was bursting out the roof door and sprinting across it towards the edge. Videl had already taken off not long ago and was flying towards the scene, leaving the entire area around him empty. Glaring ahead of him, the young Saiyan reached the very edge of the building and leapt over the side, powering up at the same time producing his gi. In that flash of light he became the Gold Fighter. Plummeting for a few stories, the Saiyan warrior eventually pulled off and shot into the distance.

* * *

_**Meanwhile…**_

_**Son Residence…**_

Things elsewhere outside of Orange Star High School were carrying on as usual. Everyone was hard at work, with many others carrying on with regular routines and sessions. At the same time Videl was called in about the incident over at the mayor's office in the centre of the city, beyond on the outskirts where Mount Paoz presided, the Son family was working hard at their own work. Goku and Goten were out in the fields playing and training, leaving Chi-Chi at home to complete her duties and do her work.

The Son mother didn't care what her sons or husband was doing, so long as it was recreational. She wouldn't have much time to think about it either since the piles of washing needed to be hung were overflowing in their baskets. Already, after only half an hour, she had hung up most of the stuff. The towels, shirts, trousers, socks and cloths that had spent most of their time in the laundry were now wash-wet and hanging from the line to dry. The breeze that blew through the mountain area whipped at them, blowing them about and saving the trouble of having to throw them in the drier. That's all Chi-Chi asked for, a perfect day.

Humming to herself, the black haired woman hung up another cloth, pegging it up and keeping it in place. Stepping back and placing her hands on her hips, she knelt down and went through the next load, pulling up one of the purple sheets that went over her bed, she was about to have it sorted out from the rest of her gear when she suddenly heard a voice speak up from behind her.

"Excuse me," the cool, calm voice said, surprising the Son woman greatly. Looking up, Chi-Chi glanced over her shoulder to see who was speaking to her. When she did, she saw a man with long, white hair, yellow eyes and wearing a black and red outfit, standing behind her with a black sword sheathed at his side and in plain view. As soon as her eyes landed on him, she saw the man nod to her and continue speaking. "Could I trouble you for a moment?" he asked.

Blinking a couple of times, Chi-Chi stood up and turned around, placing her hands on her hips. The sudden appearance of this stranger made her feel a bit edgy, which was why she gave him that annoyed look. Upon getting to her feet, she furrowed her brow at him. "Whatever it is you are selling, we don't want it!"

The man chuckled, eyes flickering and hair blowing about in the wind. He took a step forward, stance still held firmly. "Sorry, but I'm not here on any sales business," he replied, a sinister smile on his face. "I'm just wondering if you can help me find someone." Chi-Chi raised an eyebrow at him, huffing a bit.

"Sorry, but we don't know you…" The dark warrior grinned, closing his eyes.

"Of course you don't," he exclaimed, opening his eyes and looking up again. "But the person I'm looking for does. His name is Echo…is he around?"

Chi-Chi shrugged, turning around and picking up her cloth again, flapping it she tossed it over the line as the white haired figure approached her. As she pegged up her cloth on the line, she continued speaking, with the figure stopping a meter behind her.

"If you're talking about my older son…" Chi-Chi began, still bearing that harsh tone in her voice she was known for by most of the Z-fighters. "Then you're a little late. He's gone to school, and won't be back for a while now. He'll be back around 5 o'clock, you can see him then." The man grunted, still smiling. He nodded affirmatively, glancing over at the clothes hanging from the line and watching them flutter in the winds.

"I see…" the man said. "Where is your son's school exactly?" he asked.

Chi-Chi sighed, becoming a little irritated now. "If you really want to know, North about 900 miles away in Satan City…" the mother stated, collecting up another cloth and hanging it next to the one she had hung up already. "I'm not going to tell you exactly where though," she continued while turning around. "Is there anything e…"

When she turned to speak with the man again, she found to her shock that he was no longer behind her. Looking around, she tried to seek out the person who had just so suddenly showed up on the scene, but found that he had disappeared completely, leaving only his footprints behind. After a few checks on the area in front of her, the woman sighed and rubbed her forehead. Shaking her head, she turned back round to carry on with her work.

"The friends my son's past life makes," the woman said to herself. "Sometimes I wonder whether this _Echo_ side of my Gohan has more of an influence over him then he does over Echo…"

* * *

_**Miles away…**_

Over at the scene made by the Red Shark Gang, things were just as bad as they seemed. The small mob that had raided the mayor's office and have taken him as a prisoner had the police and security at a slight disadvantage. Though it wasn't clear what their true intentions were, their boss seemed to have a good idea of what he wanted. How he managed to pull this seemingly impossible stunt off though, it was perfectly aligned with the position he held now.

The main building the mayor's office was built was easily one of the tallest buildings stationed in the city near the centre. Basically it took the form of an office building that served as the Head Quarters for man national leaders, senators and ambassadors. If you'd like to call it the UN head quarters then go ahead, but it was no close to the splendor of the actual building in Central City. Anyway, here the massive structure was surrounded by a high wall, usually seen at mansions, celebrity homes and even Buckingham Palace, where video cameras were built upon to keep watch over the entrances etc. The main entrance was strategically placed at the very front of the building, a wide open gate that permits VIP's and workers. This was used as a vantage point for the Red Shark Gang to enter, storm the building and take the mayor hostage. At this very moment they have barricaded themselves inside the perimeter walls with the police forming a blockade on the scene, keeping people from getting in or out. But then again, when you look at the situation at hand, they were outside, and the Red Shark Gang had the mayor held hostage inside. In other words, things looked pretty bad.

But things changed when Videl Satan arrived not long ago, and passing the barricade, faced off against the leader of the Red Shark Gang in the turf outside the building. The rest of the gang surrounded the area, a couple of them guarding the mayor and his bodyguards while flanking the place to make sure the police didn't try anything funny. The bandits were basically just your common, everyday thug, dressed in leather, casuals and whatever while armed to the teeth with all sorts of illegal weaponry. For starters, most of them were armed with the world's most popular assault rifle, the AK-47 and its runner up, the M16. For heavy support a couple other thugs wielded M60's and RPG's, using these to keep any helicopters and armored vehicles back. So far, they had everything covered.

The leader of the gang, who they called 'Boss', was facing off against Videl, both of them standing firmly in front of each other, fists on their hips and exchanging glares. The man was real big, about the same height as Piccolo and looking real mean. He wore yellow slacks, brown loafers, a white baggy shirt and a blue vest. He also had a thin mustache, a broad face and had a strange hat. The guy was awfully muscular too, making him look and seem tough even when he has done nothing yet.

He chuckled lowly as he glared down at the girl standing in front of him. "So you chose to face me instead of your father huh?" the man asked in a deep, foreign accented voice, raising an eyebrow at the teenage crime fighter. Videl nodded with a serious expression in play.

"That's right," she replied. "My father is a very busy man. He doesn't have time to deal with trash like you!"

The leader chuckled, cracking his neck before hardening his glare a bit. His cocky grin remained. "I see…so your father is a coward then! He doesn't have the guts to come here, fight me and save the mayor! Instead he sends his weaker daughter!" The raven haired girl furrowed her brow, dropping into a stance and taking up the defensive.

"My father isn't afraid, he's just busy," Videl stated. "And for your information, I've been taking down scum like you since I was eleven!" The boss raised an eyebrow, a little impressed by her story.

"Oh! A short girl with big words! Well then!" he exclaimed, lowering his arms to his side from his hips before bringing both fists up. His knuckles cracked as they fisted, tightening in a manner that would make anyone back down. "Perhaps I can kick you around for a while instead. I guess you'll have to suffice till your father…_decides_ to show up…"

Videl smirked, eyes flickering. "Bring it on…"

The boss took that as a challenge. With a roar, he rushed forward and brought his right fist back, sending it down at the girl in a powerful punch. The blow, intended for her face, missed as the teenage crime fighter leapt to the side, avoiding the overdone punch. When she landed, she launched herself at her opponent, seeing her big opponent turn around with an angered expression in play. When he saw the girl send a kick aimed for his face, he quickly spun round and grabbed her leg with his right hand. Pulling her through the air, he threw a left punch straight at her, only to have his enormous fist grabbed and the force in it used against him. Videl grinned, looping her leg around his arm and twisting, so that he released her and staggered away when the maneuver knocked him off balance.

As he staggered back, Videl landed and dropped into another stance. The boss growled, taking a stand against the girl with a vein seen growing on his forehead. With a yell, he ran forward bringing his left fist back and driving it at his opponent. The crowds watching from the entrance, as well as the police on guard watched in awe, worried that their city's celebrity would get hurt. Even the mayor and his body guards were astonished. However, all of them, the whole audience was seriously muffled by what kind of force Videl really was. Watching closely, they saw Videl jump straight into the air, clearly making leap over her opponent and driving her right foot into his unguarded back, knocking him forward. Videl landed behind him, spinning around and rushing forward. Even as the fight was quickly moving into her favor, the boss' minions did nothing yet.

Reduced to his hands and knees, the big, gang leader pushed himself up and spun around, fisting his left hand and with a loud yell, sent it at his opponent running at him from behind. Videl gasped in surprise, crossing her arms over her face and taking the blow head on. Stronger then she even counted on, she was sent flying back a few meters before skidding to a stop. She came to lie right in the centre of the area they were using for a ring, the raven haired girl uncrossing her arms and glaring up. The boss, who had managed to score that hit, chuckled and fixed the string tie at his collar. His eyes narrowed further down on the girl as he stepped forward.

"You see…you can't beat me," he exclaimed. "Not at this rate…"

Videl flinched, swinging her legs back and pushing off the ground, leaping to her feet with ease. When she was back up, she took her symbolic Eagle's Claw Fighting stance, deciding to take the level up a little. Her opponent stopped, smirk faltering at the look she was sending him.

"Well, if you think you can beat me, come on then!" The boss growled, hands fisting tighter then before. Gee, only a few seconds of fighting and he realized he was at a disadvantage. He tried to make it seem obvious that he was the one with the upper hand, but frankly, after seeing how confidently and easily his opponent was fighting him, he was beginning to feel a littler under the weather. But, wanting to keep authority, he came up with a smart come back to Videl's confident words.

"What's the point?" he asked her. "You're far too easy. When I wanted a fight, I asked for Mr. Satan to come, but instead I get you. Guess the only simple way of ending this is to…eliminate you from the picture," he stated. He clicked his fingers, a grin edged out on his face. It was with that sound all his underlings that were on call and were available stepped forward, weapons loading and aimed directly at a surprised Videl. The boss chuckled. "I pray you understand…"

Videl glared at him, still dropped into a stance. "This is unfair! Tell them to back off and fight me like a man!" The boss grinned.

"A fight is man to man, not man to woman! Sorry…" Videl scowled.

"Sexist!"

The man crossed his arms, nodding to his men. "Finish her!"

Videl growled and glared around nervously as the men the boss ordered up aimed their weapons at her. She backed down, cries and shouts of protest coming from the crowds and police officers. Even the mayor was outraged by this turn of events. However, they could do nothing as the raven haired girl was soon subjected to the firing squad without trial. It seemed like it was the end for her. But then, just as all the fingers on the triggers were applying pressure, a flash of light passed over the entire area and suddenly, all the weapons in the hands of the bandits about to shoot Videl fell to pieces, clean cuts made into every fire arm.

They all gasped in shock, stepping back and leaving a bewildered crowd, Videl and crime boss in their wake. Suddenly, out of the blue, the man responsible for once again saving Videl's life swooped in, appearing at her side. The Gold Fighter took his stand, glaring at the boss and ignoring the shocked expression his friend was passing him. His sword was drawn and propped up on his shoulder, which had formed into a giant version of a duo (Chinese Sword). The weapon had a sharp slicing end, with its edged service side donning traditional rings and a small chain tied at the pommel of his weapon. He called this level of sword the _Spartan Blade_.

"You dishonorable crook!" the Gold Fighter shouted. "The only people I know who use cheap tactics like that are ones who can destroy planets! You should know better then this…" The boss stared with a look of fear at the spiky, blonde haired fighter for a moment before it dropped completely and his look was replaced by a sinister one.

"Well now! Look who decided to show up!" he exclaimed. "It's the self-made Golden haired pretty boy acting like a hero!" Gohan didn't take any offense to that and just moved the blade of his weapon from his shoulder, coming to hold it at his side. The people watching from the sidelines were chatting excitedly, with the TV crew being sure to capture all of the action. With the Gold Fighter here, things were sure to get really good, now that he has teamed up with Videl.

Speaking of which, the raven haired girl was finally able to recover from her shock, and when she did, she glared up at him with her usual, serious scowl. "It's about time you showed up!" she hissed to him. "What kept you?"

Gohan shrugged, taking a stance. "Not much…just decided to watch and see how you did," he replied. Videl shook her head, also taking a stance. The two fighters now stood back to back, looking around at the bandits now beginning to surround them. Those thugs who had been disarmed were taking on stances, and circled both fighters standing in the middle of the scene by the orders of their boss. Their leader decided to sit back and enjoy the show from here, while flanked by two more of his men.

"Well, that's convenient," she retorted to his previous answer, eyes shifting over the area around her. "You could have at least told me you were coming; otherwise I wouldn't have jumped in so soon." The Gold Fighter nodded, lowering his head while brandishing his blade in a stance.

"Right…sorry," he said. "Once we take care of these guys we'll talk. I'll take out all the guys with the guns. You can handle the middle-class bandits who are unarmed…" Videl nodded, eyes moving from left to right.

"Sounds fair…"

The boss, now tired of all this waiting, raised his fist and brought it down in one swift movement. "Kill them!!!" The unarmed bandits surrounding the pair obeyed that order, and charged with bellowing yells, determined to carry out this new task. As soon as the boss threw in his minions to attack, both Gohan and Videl acted in kind. Videl rushed forward at her first target, while Gohan broke off in the other direction. Along the way, he took flight and grabbed one of the bandits running at him. Shooting straight up into the sky about two stories above the ground, the young Saiyan threw the shocked man he held in his hand at one of the armed bandit's standing far below. Within seconds, the person he through crashed into the man with the AK-47, both of them crumpling in a bodily heap. At the same time, Videl easily avoided a punch thrown by the thug she was attacking and threw a left palm strike into his chin, knocking him staggering back. She was then opposed by seven more disarmed thugs, all of them leaping at her at once…

Flying down from his position in the sky, Gohan swept over the entire area, spinning his sword in his grip before bringing it about. He first went on to deal with the bandits watching over the guards. When they saw the young Saiyan fly in like a eagle diving at its prey, they opened fire at him with their assault rifles, only to miss him entirely. In a fluent motion of attack, the young Saiyan sent a right roundhouse kick across one of the thugs, sending him flying away and falling in an unconscious heap before easily bringing his sword round and slashing through the air. In a blink of an eye, the guns in the two remaining thugs in this area fell to pieces. The shocked bandits backed away, looking at the young warrior who took his Dragon Claw Stance, crouched low with his hands held in very animalistic position, his sword drawn back, ready to strike. Terrified, the bandits ran away screaming, leaving Gohan to carry on.

The blonde haired fighter moved towards the mayor and his five body guards. Moving to the head of the city first, he brought his sword up in an upward slice, easily removing the rope binding his wrists and body. With these restrictions removed, the mayor got to his feet, rubbing his sore hands and cuffs.

"Thank you, Gold Fighter," he breathed. "Thank you…" Gohan did the same for his five body-guards, one of them picking up the fallen weapon of the bandit the Gold Fighter kicked at.

"No problem," Gohan replied while cutting the binds off of the last body guard, and watching him get to his feet. Suddenly, a body came flying out of nowhere, forcing all of them to duck as it hit the wall behind them. Glancing at the man imprinted in the wall, they saw him fall to the ground in a loud thud, surprising even Gohan at what had happened. In response, he turned to see how Videl was doing, and saw she was easily dispensing with the bandits attacking her. Three of them were lying on the ground around her, all of them unconscious, while three others were having a go at her. The sight made the young Saiyan smile.

Without any time to waste, the warrior went on with his work. When Gohan saw a man with a RPG and another with an AK-47 appear from round the building and aim their weapons at them, he acted quickly. With a growl, Gohan stepped forward and knelt down, sending his right fist into the ground. In a shockwave of power, a crack in the earth formed and shot towards the two bandits, several geosapphiric crystal pillars shooting out of the ground and sending the thugs flying. With those tow dispensed with, Gohan removed his fist from the ground, the crystals disappearing at the same time he did so. With that problem averted, he moved on to clear out the rest of the field. Crouching low, he leapt into the air and took flight, shooting round the perimeter with his sword bared.

With five more bandits armed with M-16's and AK-47's in his sight, he swept over them and cleared them up like a mop on the floor. As they opened fire on him, all of them backing away in fear, the young Saiyan brought his blade down upon them, disarming them all and landing behind the line they had made. With all of them looking around amidst the confusion, the golden haired warrior threw his left hand out at them and sent a shockwave coursing through the air towards the group of startled men. He sent them all flying forward with that move, knocking them all out. Their heads will be ringing for days after that…

Videl growled, grabbing the arm of a second bandit and pulling him forward. With strength beyond that of an ordinary man, she threw him round; bringing him into a spinning throw before tossing him towards the stairs leading up to the mayor's building. Fortunately, the man she threw didn't collide with the stair way. Instead, he landed above it before tumbling down the steps. He landed in an awkward position at the base of it, all bruised up and unconscious. Videl then moved on to the other two standing in her way. They ran at her, using a planned tackle maneuver, from two sides. The raven haired girl found this quite a stupid maneuver as it was far too predictable. As they jumped at her, she leapt into the air and flipped over them easily. When she landed behind them, she spun around and charged, seeing them turn around when they realized they had missed their target. They got the shock of their lives when the raven haired girl attacked them. She leapt at the one on her right, sending a right chop at his neck and knocking him out cold before spinning through the air and sending a right, backwards roundhouse kick at the second guy, knocking him back into the wall. Though that blow didn't knock him out cold, crashing into the wall certainly did. Both men fell to the concrete floor with loud thuds, lying there lifeless.

By this time, Videl had taken another stance and was looking around, seeing if anyone else was coming at her. Well, as it turns out another five thugs were charging at her, having had their weapons dispensed with, leaving them with the option of taking her down. Videl grinned, eagerly warming up to this challenge. She ran at them as well, engaging the first one in a quick, pointless battle that would eventually lead to her victory. She kneed the guy in the stomach; grabbing him by the back of the shirt and bringing him back up. Videl then elbowed him across the face, back-fisting him afterwards and also hitting another guy coming from her right. After that, she spun the man round and threw him into the second guy she hit, both of them falling to the ground. Videl then moved on to handle the rest of the goons wanting to pick a fight with her.

At the same time, Gohan disarmed the rest of the gang. His sword slashed away at two men standing on either side of him, both their weapons falling to pieces right before their very eyes as the young Saiyan brought his sword back, holding that stance he used to end the attack. He then leapt into the air, spinning around at a full 360 degrees and sending a right kick at both of them. He followed through with it so there was more effect. After which he landed and then zapped into super speed. A second later he appeared behind a man with an M60 machine gun, who was looking around and trying to find out what was going on. Just then, the young Saiyan standing behind him elbowed him in the back of the neck, knocking him out-cold with that one blow. The thug fell to the ground in an unconscious heap, with Gohan taking flight once again.

In support for their comrades, a group of seven more armed men were rushing over to where Videl was fighting the other bandits, easily bringing them all down from what they could see. But before any of them could get over to help, they were all brought down by a swirling golden light. In that split second, they all collapsed to the ground, falling to their knees before crashing forward. They were all downed easily, leaving no other armed man standing.

Landing amidst the bodies, Gohan inspected the mess he made, looking from body to body before glaring up to see how Videl was doing. He got quite a big surprise when he saw Videl taking care of the boss, who suddenly decided to jump into the fray. Obviously the guy was attempting to sneak up on her and knock her out, but ended up getting the jump on. The girl sent a right hook across his face before finishing him with a left roundhouse kick to the face. The two blows sent the big man staggering before he eventually fell to the ground, unconscious and all limbs sprawled out. Videl smirked when she landed, looking around in front of her to see if there was anyone left to deal with. When she saw none, she turned around towards the Gold Fighter. When she saw him, she smiled and gave him the thumbs up.

Gohan did so in kind, and watched her approach him. At the sign of victory, the crowds and cops watching in the background let out a loud cheer, calling out Videl and the Gold Fighter's names while throwing their hands out in praise. However, these calls of congratulations went on unnoticed by both crime fighters, meaning they were at mute as if the background sounds were just bird singing or the oceans waves crashing into the shore. When Videl reached her golden haired savior, she nodded to him with a smirk on her face.

"Nice going, Gold Fighter. Thanks for the help…" she exclaimed. Gohan nodded back, also sharing a smile with her.

"Don't mention it," he replied. As the mayor and his bodyguards came up behind the pair, the young Saiyan suddenly became distracted when he saw a couple of the bandits Videl had taken out stagger to their feet. When they did, they looked towards the two fighters who had brought them down, to see both the Gold Fighter and Videl glaring at them.

Freaking out, the four bandits who had gotten to their feet backed away, shaking in their boots. The cops, who were watching from the entrance, decided that it was their time to shine, and so crossed the barrier and began to walk towards the four thugs. However, they stopped all of a sudden when they saw another figure appear on the field, flashing out of nowhere and coming to stand behind the bandits. From here, another shocking event took place.

All four bandits froze, a flash of light suddenly streaking across their mid-sections and ending at a certain, outstretched point. This also surprised Gohan and Videl, both of them standing and staring silently with wide eyes. Strange, first the bandits looked like they were about to run, but then all of a sudden, they all stopped together. Their reasons for doing so soon became clear as they were all standing…dead. A moment later, all four bodies fell forward, all of them landing on their fronts sprawled out. Gohan, Videl, the mayor and everyone else watching stood shocked, gazing down at the four bodies with wide eyes. They saw pools of sparkling red blood form around the corpses, spreading out and growing. At the same time, sword marks suddenly formed on their backs, blood pouring out of these wounds.

After a moment of staring down at them, everyone looked up at the one responsible for this. Everyone was surprised to see a tall man dressed in black and red standing behind the bodies of the bandits, long white hair flowing in the wind and a three meter long Katana held in his right arm which was still outstretched. It was after sighting him, the man brought his sword around and pointed the blade directly at Gohan.

Videl took a step back, all the more shocked by the appearance of this new figure. She then looked up at the Gold Fighter, expecting to hear a reasonably good explanation from him for this. However, when she looked up at him, she saw a look of pure anger edged on his face as he glared at the man in the long weapon standing before him.

With the opening to this exchange of stares, the man with the long sword spoke, a smirk spreading across his face. "Hello Echo…missed me?"

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	52. Dark Wings End

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Dark Wings End_

Gohan growled and stepped forward, brandishing his sword in his one, hand right side grip. He spun his duo round in his hand before holding it forward, blade flashing in the sunlight. "Scythe!" he yelled.

Everyone standing around were still startled. The police in the background had backed down, reached for their side arms in the face of this new, unknown threat. The crowds were murmuring, all of them worried and concerned for their safety. The mayor was flanked by his bodyguards, but was given a clear sight of the events taking place. And Videl, well…she was more confused now then ever. This was seriously a strange turn of events for her. However, as per reaction to this unfamiliar situation, she stepped forward to take charge, only for the Gold Fighter to block her way and push her back using his left hand. His eyes and stance never left the direction of the white haired stranger, whose three meter blade was still pointed directly at them.

Videl looked up in surprise at the blonde haired hero, eager to know what was going on. "Gold Fighter, who is this guy," she asked. Gohan didn't answer that immediately, but dawned on it for a few seconds before he eventually did. It was simple and clean.

"An old friend…" It was obvious he had said that with a lot of distaste in his tone.

Scythe smirked, seeing the serious expression held by Gohan and the surprised looks of the rest of the group in front of him. In response he approached a couple more steps, with his opponent doing so in kind. Both their swords remained drawn, and both of them looked all he more fearsome in their set stances. After a few more seconds of staring each other down, one of them spoke up again. This time, it was Scythe.

"I understand that you've been searching for me?" the warrior exclaimed with a smirk. Gohan continued to glare at him hatefully, only this time, he decided to make a point to the matter at hand.

He twirled his sword around, blade swirling quickly before being thrown out to the side. Then, in a flash of light, his weapon once again changed. Videl, the mayor and the bodyguards, the only ones who were the closest to the Gold Fighter, saw the sword change shape and appearance. They were certainly surprised by this, as well as the form the sword took next. As soon as the light died, they saw that the blade had become just like a regular long sword blade, only it had a slide curve on the cutting edge, with the grip and handle changing entirely. At the base of the blade there was a large, revolver cylinder and the handle of the weapon had shaped into that of a pistol grip. However, the new pistol grip had kept the distinct curve the sword's handle always had. At the pommel end, there was also a new chain piece with a cross at the end of it. Though they didn't know what it was called, Gohan did: the illustrious _Gun Blade_.

"Yeah!" Gohan replied, narrowing his eyes down on his target. "I've also been expecting this. A lot of things in this world don't change, and one of those elements is you Scythe! I know why you're here…"

Scythe grinned, eyes flickering. "To finish what we started," he answered, nodding in understanding. "I conquer. But one thing's been troubling me…how?" Gohan just glared, not taking his eyes off of him for a second. The white haired warrior smiled, furrowing his brow for a moment. "How is it that I have been able to come back, when there is no possible way I could have survived our last bout?" Gohan gritted his teeth, grip tightening on his sword as he held it forward. He relaxed it a few moments later, serious expression resumed.

"That's the thing," the Super Saiyan warrior replied. "Once I get rid of you, the darkness will go away…" Scythe chuckled, shaking his head slightly while smiling at him.

"Can you do it?" he asked, his expression never faltering for even a second. "That darkness comes from your own dark memories." Gohan furrowed his brow more, both fighters holding their positions while continuing to glare each other down. Fury burned in both their eyes, lighting the way to what was expected to be an extraordinary fight. Scythe smirked. "Do you think you can erase your past…all of it?"

Gohan shrugged. "It's worth a try…" Scythe considered his calmness; however it was no big deal to him. He knew Gohan better then this.

"But you can't," Scythe stated. "Face it…your past will remain with you no matter where you go. Everything you went through, all the battles you fought…you can't turn away from it. The darkness in your memories is too much for you to handle." The dark warrior chuckled. "You know what I'm talking about…the pain…the suffering…the anger…it's still there…"

The young Saiyan kept his serious expression up, able to withstand the truth coming from Scythe's mouth. From here, Gohan was able to respond in kind. "Maybe…but I'm stronger then that. I look away from the past towards the present and future…and find the light that's there to embrace. My sanctuary is my own self, and the light is those I cherish…"

Scythe grunted, brow furrowing more and eyes narrowing down on his opponent. "I see…so the darkness is somewhere I can't reach. Hmm…that's a bit disappointing," he concluded, shrugging his shoulders. "Very well then…lets see what this…'light' of yours can do!" With a flash of his sword, Scythe assumed his stance, the three meter katana taken into a two handed grip and held to his left, blade point still directed towards the Gold Fighter. He also took a shoulder width stance, knee slightly bent with his right foot held forward more. Gohan on the other hand also took a stance for this, propping his sword on his shoulder and dropping into a Dragon Fang Stance, left hand held forward with his eyes locked onto his opponent.

Videl on the other hand, wanted to know more about what was going. "Gold Fighter…what does he mean by darkness in your past? What does he want?" she asked.

Gohan glanced back at her for a second before looking forward again. "He wants me. That's all…"

Scythe smirked, eyes flickering. "You'll never let it go, Echo…"

The young Saiyan gritted his teeth, a golden spark of electricity shooting out from his fist. Videl blinked in confusion, shaking her head before turning back towards Gohan. Alright, she was completely thrown in the dark now. "Echo? Is that your real name or something? What kind of a name is that? Tell me, what's this really all about?" Gohan's fists tightened all the more, with more sparks of electricity suddenly shooting out of him. Scythe chuckled.

"All those you cherish will be gone…once I'm through with you…" Scythe continued, eyes flashing. "Are you willing to let that happen?"

Gohan growled, limbs trembling in that stance of his. All this was really starting to get to him; he couldn't take it any more! With the crowds shouting from the sidelines and Videl's continuous questioning at this time, he couldn't think straight. On top of that, Scythe was really getting under his skin now. He knew this was coming. The after shocks of what his opponent was saying.

"_No…I will not lose…I can't!"_

This was it! If Scythe wanted a fight, then a fight is what he'll get! After standing there for a few more seconds, trembling with anger and under the strain of everything coming down on him, Gohan went for a new move. Balling his fists tightly, Gohan suddenly threw his arms up and, with an explosive shock wave, let out a tremendous, bellowing cry. With it, his golden aura shot up around him and transformed into a vortex of swirling energy. All the sounds around him were drowned out by his howling yell as he powered up, galling winds of force shooting out in all directions and silencing everyone with that moment. Videl let out a gasp of shock as she witnessed this sudden, unnatural phenomenon occur. She stared wide eyed into the vortex, seeing the Gold Fighter's clothes rip away in the winds and his screams of pain continue. The mayor, taken back by his bodyguards also stared wide eyed into the tornado of energy, along with everyone else watching. The fierce winds nearly knocked all of them off their feet, except Scythe. The white haired warrior stared in surprise at the vortex taking place, the world seemingly darkening in light of this sudden power up.

As Gohan's cry ripped through the air, his aura, which once stretched high up into the sky in the form of a tornado, suddenly died down to a controlled warp. As it enveloped him, it turned pure gold, with bolts of golden lightning shooting out and that radioactive glow taking place around him. From there, his power came out full-fold, and he was ready for action!

After his cry was silenced, Gohan resumed his stance and glared furiously across at Scythe, eyes flared and teeth gritted. His opponent, who wasn't bothered at all by his display of power, smirked and took his stance again. Then, under the galling winds of force, the young Saiyan warrior charged, pushing off the ground and zapping into super speed. Scythe did so too, disappearing into super speed. For a moment, nothing happened, with the area once again returning to normal light at the disappearance of both fighters. But then, just as everyone was looking around for the two, they heard the sounds of clanging, followed by a resounding shockwave and looked up. Up in the skies, many stories above the ground, they saw both fighters locked in a furious duel. The Gold Fighter was engaged in that sword fight with Scythe, their swords slicing through the air at lightning fast speeds and connecting each and every time. With every clang, there was a shockwave, showing how strong both fighters actually were. People were actually ducking down every time a shock wave of force went out.

Gohan attacked his opponent furiously, aura burning brightly to increase speed, strength and power. Scythe was actually staggered by how strong his opponent actually was now. Clearly, both Gohan and Scythe have increased in strength since their last fight, and both of them were showing promise. Gritting his teeth, Scythe ducked under a overhead strike and leapt over Gohan, just as he was coming in with a single-handed, stab strike. Growling, Gohan spun around and brought his sword up into defensive mode as Scythe came at him with quick attacks of his own. First he blocked a overhead strike, then a mid-section slash and a follow up on the opposite side. Their swords clanged hard, sending blue and gold sparks everywhere to match their visible energy colors. Then, as Gohan was about to strike, Scythe moved forward quickly and elbowed him across the face, knocking the young Saiyan back with amazing strength. He literally knocked Gohan's aura out of commission. After flying back 50 meters, Gohan managed to stop himself with an energy halt. After stopping himself, Gohan shot forward, sword held tightly and brought back over his left shoulder. When he reached his opponent, he slashed out at him, only for the white haired warrior to shoot straight up into the sky. Missing his target and going straight past, Gohan stopped and glared up, before taking off after him.

Both fighters climbed higher, Scythe stopping above Gohan and bringing his sword over his head. With his opponent in clear sight, he brought his sword down on him in a quick, powerful chop slash. Gohan easily blocked it, raising his sword above his head and locking blades with him. They were both stuck like that in those positions for a few seconds, before Gohan managed to force Scythe's blade off of him and follow through with his attack. The white haired spirit backed away as Gohan went on with his assault, blocking various slash attacks, their blades clashing violently and sending sparks and shockwaves everywhere. After blocking a full assault of attacks, Scythe quickly back-flipped away as Gohan brought his sword round and slashed at where his gut was, only to miss. The dark warrior managed to put a distance between the two of them of about 100 meters, meaning he moved real fast in his retreat. Gohan glared after him, immediately taking off after him after he spotted Scythe again. Scythe took a defensive stance, serious expression in play. He blocked the first several strikes from Gohan, backing away as Gohan honed in on him with his assault. Sparks flew, accompanied by shockwaves of force from their flashing swords.

After backing down, resisting the young Saiyan's attacks, Scythe threw an attack of his own, their blades locking in a grapple at the end of the loud clang and shockwave that occurred. Gohan gritted his teeth and growled, fighting against his opponent and trying to force him back. Unfortunately that was not to be as at this point Scythe was a lot stronger then him. With a great deal of effort, the white haired warrior forced him away before flying after him again at full speed. Gohan fell back, slowing himself down and assuming a stance just as Scythe was charging at him. Readjusting his grip so that his sword was in a backwards grip, Gohan struck out, meeting Scythe's blade. Quickly spinning the sword in his hand, Gohan leapt up and struck with an overhead slash, only for Scythe to block the blow and attack him relentlessly with quickly, decisive strikes. Gohan was driven back by these, but quickly resumed attacking. Scythe smirked, raising his sword in one hand and easily blocking a chest aimed slash strike, an upwards strike and an overhead strike. Before Gohan could carry on, his sword was thrown off and he was batted away with an outwards strike. Scythe drifted upwards with his sword held out to his side, cape and clothes ruffling in the wind.

Gohan was thrown out of the sky, spinning out of control as he fell to earth far below. However, as he reached six stories above the ground, he stopped sharply and glared up. The crowds awed at this, eyes all fixated on the battle going on overhead. Everyone, including Videl was shocked beyond belief, unable to believe what was happening. When Gohan managed to stop, he glared up with a serious expression in play, and narrowed his eyes on his opponent. Scythe chuckled, wrapping his cape and wings around him before leaping into the air. Performing an aerial spin, he increased altitude and stopped, throwing his arms out, causing his cape and wings to unveil and spread outwards. From here, he looked like the actual angel of death!

Gohan furrowed his brow at this, fisting his hands and powering up. With his sword held tightly in his right hand, he flew up, aura burning brightly. Scythe saw him approaching and chuckled, taking his katana into two hands and, bringing it round, slashed upwards. At the same time, he unleashed a blue, energy slash at his opponent, causing his opponent to drop aura and leap to the side. The energy-slash shot for the ground, punching a deep trench into it and shoot upwards. People leapt out of the way as the attack came down on them, with its deadly streak ending at the mayor's office building. An entire chunk of it was sawn off, people letting out cries of terror at the sight of falling rubble and destruction. Videl, the mayor and his bodyguards stared in shock as the building's right side crumbled before turning their sights back up to the sky above. Gohan did so too, teeth gritted and eyes narrowed.

Scythe chuckled, bringing his sword above his head and slashing downwards. Another energy-slash was fired, and then a second, and finally and third, the three streaks of deadly attacks hurling through the air at their target. Gohan maneuvered around, avoiding all of them as they hooked through the air, striking a couple of other buildings standing around the mayor's office building. As the walls of those structures struck by the attacks crumbled, rubble and debris plummeting to the ground many stories below, Gohan took a stance and glared up at Scythe. There, he saw the fighter preparing to make another decisive strike, a grin edged on his face. Seeing this, the young Saiyan took a moment to think before acting decisively without a second thought. He shot straight down feet first, feeling the winds rushing past him as he returned to earth. Scythe watched his opponent fly straight down, grinning wildly. It came as some surprise when his opponent suddenly went straight into the ground, punching a hole into it as he disappeared in a cloud of dust. The earth shook with his hard breakthrough, nearly knocking everyone off balance.

Suddenly, seconds after Gohan had disappeared, an earthquake erupted and a split in the ground shot forward towards the area Scythe was hovering over. People screamed at the thoughts of an earthquake but stopped when all of a sudden, the earth trembling ceased and a golden energy blast shot straight out from under the concrete, sending debris flying everywhere as it hurled at its target hovering hundreds of meters above. Scythe saw the highly concentrated attack heading towards him and smirked, holding his left hand out towards the blast.

"The fool…"

Then, as all his attention was locked onto the attack, Gohan appeared out of thin air to his right about 25 meters away, charging at him the instant he solidified. Scythe sensed him and gasped, turning in his direction with a shocked expression in play. The young Saiyan was quick, charging at his opponent with his sword held back and teal eyes flaring. He moved faster then his blast did as they both shot at their selected target, with Scythe sharply cornered. Thinking that his opponent would attack with his sword, the white haired warrior raised his katana up quickly, a stressed out expression taking place as he narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth on his opponent. But then, Gohan changed tactics and in one swift move, sent a left side kick straight into his face, the shockwave immense blow sending Scythe hurling into the distance. The young Saiyan had barely enough time to avoid his own blast and watch as his opponent flew straight into a distant building, disappearing in a blink of an eye. The wall of the structure crumbled as rubble and debris shot out of the point Scythe flew into. People on the ground far below were mindful to run for it, screaming in terror.

Gohan glared at the building, sword held back in defense and ready to strike. He waited and watched, seeing the rubble and cloud of dust dissipate. In place, he saw the massive hole punched into the building, all thanks to Scythe's flight. For a moment, nothing happened at first, with the crowds staring intently to see what'll happen next. But then, when it seemed like Scythe was finished, a blast of cold, blue fire suddenly shot straight out of the building and, with lightning fast speed, shot at Gohan. The young Saiyan growled and spun his sword around, slicing forward with it at the spearhead. When he struck it, he sliced straight through it and destroyed it. Immediately after the blast's remnants scattered in the forms of sparks and flames, Scythe shot out of the building, flying at break neck speeds across the same path his attack had taken and charging at Gohan. The young Saiyan gasped when he saw him, and was only able to raise his sword barely as the white haired warrior brought his sword back and struck at him with full force. A shockwave occurred when their blades collided, sparks flying as well as Gohan who was sent flying into the mayor's building hundreds of meters behind him. The young Saiyan crashed straight into the window and wall, going straight through and landing on his back on the 30th floor. He disappeared from sight, leaving Scythe outside and in the eyes of the citizens of Satan City.

Videl, who had seen the fight play out so far, was growing worried, wondering whether the Gold Fighter would be able to beat this new fiend. After seeing him disappear into the mayor's building after that astounding hit, she didn't know whether he did stand a chance. But still, he had pulled out of more, so she didn't lose hope.

Getting to his feet and dusting off the debris and dust, Gohan picked up his sword and glared ahead of him. Seconds after he had gotten to his feet, he saw Scythe appear in front of him, performing a flip and landing on the same level through the hole created by the young Saiyan. Without wasting a second, the white haired warrior sprinted forward and leapt at Gohan bringing his sword above his head and slashing down at him. Gohan leapt back quickly, bursting through another wall and into a large, empty office room. Flipping back, he landed against a pillar and pushed off, just as Scythe shot at him and slashed out. Instead, he cut straight through the pillar, and after missing, flew after his opponent. Gohan leapt from wall to wall, using these to propel him away from Scythe. However, all he was to find was that the dark spirit was a lot faster and stronger then he gave him credit for. Scythe landed on the wall across from him, both of them pushing off and charging at each other. As they crossed paths, they both slashed out, striking at each other and sending sparks everywhere. They flew past, landing on opposite walls before repeating to process, landing at a different angel and dimension every time. Sparks constantly flashed into the picture as their weapons clashed, the room being torn up by shockwaves of brutal force. Making their way across, Gohan left the brawl by leaping clean over one of Scythe's attacks, proceeding on by bursting through a solid brick wall with ease.

Hooking round, Scythe followed, eyes narrowing as he plotted the course for his next attack. Gohan flew on down one of the halls, looking from left to right for his opponent. Suddenly, as he was flying straight down the hall, Scythe appeared in front of him by bursting through another wall, sword drawn back and ready to strike. The young Saiyan reacted instinctively, landing, skidding forward because of his momentum build up and leapt straight up, going through the various ceilings. At the same time Scythe struck out, only to hit an after image flying by and the wall beside him. Cutting a nice clean scar into it, the white haired warrior growled and flew after his opponent, shooting straight up through another ceiling and another. The two of them eventually met up in a hallway at the same time eight more stories up, both of them flying at each other with their swords bared. Engaging in that hallway, they both began lashing at each other, loud, clang filled shockwaves going out. They relentlessly assaulted each other while tearing up the building's interior around them.

After being knocked away by the equal force of a combined, colliding attack, they both struck out again, engaging in another grappling match. With sparks flying around them, they glared into each other's eyes, teeth bared and energy warping violently around them. Seconds into this showdown, Scythe grinned and applied more force, pushing Gohan back ever more.

"You've gotten stronger," he exclaimed, raising an eyebrow. "Well done…"

Gohan growled. "SHUT UP!!!" With a yell of effort, he pushed Scythe back with a force filled strike. This sent the katana wielding warrior through some more walls before he burst out the front of the building, dust, rubble and debris following him. The people on the ground saw the fighter emerge and gasped, seeing him disappear from sight. Gohan picked up from here and sprinted forward, leaping off the ground and flying through the same holes Scythe had made, using them as a path. When he emerged from the building, he flew down, landing 30 stories and five seconds later. After landing, he looked up and around, searching for his opponent. However, all he saw was the empty turf and the crowds in the background with Videl and the mayor standing by the wall.

As he was searching, he suddenly heard a loud crash and turned around, looking up towards the building. There, plummeting from the very top he saw a bus falling towards him, empty of passengers and spinning out of control. The young Saiyan gasped, shocked at the sight but resumed a stance as quickly as possible, identifying this as an immediate threat. With a yell, he flew forward, heading straight forward the bus. Spinning his sword above him, he threw it back then forward, aiming the point of the blade straight at it. Suddenly, in a burst of light, his sword fired off a charged, orange ball of energy that flew straight at the falling vehicle. It struck, exploding with sheer forced and sending the two remaining pieces of it falling, where it would crash to the ground safely out of harm's way. After breaking through, Gohan flew on, heading towards the top of the building. However, as he was, he saw two more cars suddenly appear and get thrown down at him, as if it were raining vehicles. Acting quickly, Gohan brought his sword around and slashed at the first car with an overhead strike, slicing it clean in two. The two halves fell the rest of the way without affecting the young Saiyan's flight path whatsoever. Gohan then refocused concentration on the second one, and was pulling back his weapon when he saw the car split into four quarters after 'X' shaped slashes were cut into it, Scythe emerging from the other side of the falling vehicle.

Gohan was prepared. Ignoring the four car pieces falling, he locked blades with his opponent, another shockwave before another furious engagement occurred. As their swords swirled through the air, their blades flashed and sparks flew with every clash. Circling each other while floating through the sky, the two of them never ceased their fight for a second, and were constantly going at it at each other without any restraint. Scythe smirked, blocking another of Gohan's assaults as his energy level slowly increased while his opponent's level remained as it was. Apparently the dark spirit warrior wasn't letting on what he was showing now, and was gaining ground in terms of lack of exhaustion and energy to go on. Striking at Gohan with an overhead hit, he moved in and shoulder butted the young Saiyan in the face, knocking him back. When he did, Gohan back-flipped and sent a left roundhouse kick at his face, hitting him clean on with that blow and staggering him. As Scythe staggered through the air to the side, Gohan flipped back into submission and disappeared through super speed. He appeared behind Scythe, the warrior gritting his teeth and recovering from the last blow, only to receive a left knee clean in his face, one which knocked him staggering in a different direction with a shockwave to follow. After which Gohan appeared in front of him and sent a mind-boggling left jab across his face.

Scythe staggered back, only to recover a lot faster than he had previously done and brought his sword up, guarding himself. Gohan had disappeared once again, and appeared behind him, sword brought back in a prepared strike. The moment he appeared, he chopped at his opponent's side, only for the warrior to block it with ease. Throwing Gohan blade away, the white haired warrior spun around and pointed the tip of his blade up, bringing it down upon his opponent. Gohan blocked that, and the following head strike and downward slash. Then Scythe slashed up and outwards, striking Gohan's block and sending the young Saiyan flying back from the force used. The Gold Fighter growled and back-flipped, landing on one of the damaged, nearby buildings and dropping into a stance. Scythe suddenly landed in front of him, thrusting out with a stab but missing by his opponent side-stepping it. Both combatants spun around, ready to meet their opponent again in another battle. Bringing his sword up, Scythe struck down, hitting a block before following through with another upwards strike, finishing with a diagonal, downward strike. Gohan met his blade, both locking in a grappling match to try and over-power the other. Scythe one; pushing Gohan off of the building by sending him flying in the direction they had come. Sprinting forward, the white haired fighter gave chase, wings spreading out to increase speed.

When they engaged in mid-air above the turf of the mayor's office building, they locked blades again. Their swords flashed through the air as they flew on, circling the sky while locked in this fast, heated battle. The crowds watched fly on, and heard their sword's clash. It was an incredible bout, they all had to admit, one being fought greater then what they could imagine. Gohan growled, lashing out with his blade and trying to knock his opponent away. It was with this assault he managed to drive Scythe away, and when he was, the white haired spirit took flight and shot towards a tall building with a radio-tower atop of it, Gohan giving chase. As he neared it, Scythe spun around so that he was flying backwards, grinning while taking his sword up into two hands.

"I've thought of a wonderful present for you…" he exclaimed, spinning around and slashing across at the tower. He cut it right in the middle, sending the massive-dish and tower point hurling at Gohan flying after him. The young Saiyan saw this and threw his blade forward, aiming the tip at the massive object flying at him. In a flash and a jerking, shockwave action, another orange ball of energy was fired from his blade and sent flying at the approaching obstacle. Upon impact, the orange ball exploded, sending the smoking remains of the flying tower falling to the ground far below. Scythe smirked, knocking that his opponent would use such a move.

Gohan powered up, flying after him at full speed and locking blades with him again. The two of them circled while lashing out at each other, more shockwaves and clangs ringing out, after which, Gohan went with a furious assault that knocked Scythe back and falling from the sky. However, the white haired fighter was in complete control of his fall and mustered it with great ease. Flipping over so that his back was facing the ground as he fell, he brought his sword up in defense, watching as Gohan flew straight down at him with his weapon pulled back. With a yell, the young Saiyan slashed out, sending a blue energy slash down at him. Scythe met it with his sword, slicing it right in the centre and breaking it before Gohan eventually reached him and the two began attacking each other while falling. Seconds later, the two of them landed on the turf, Scythe performing a tumble roll and coming to his knees, turning around with his blade brandished. The crowds in the scene awed at this, with Videl, the mayor and his bodyguards gaping as the two fighters fought on without end.

Upon landing, Gohan rushed at his opponent and lashed at him with his blade. The dark spirit blocked his blows backing away and taking his sword into one handed. With his smirk in play, he easily began blocking every strike sent at him, spinning his sword round and using such an advanced stance and form that even Gohan found it hard to beat past it. This lock of blades ended when Scythe thrust a backhanded strike with his sword, their blades striking and stopping in that position. Both their limbs trembled, with the two of them battling strengths and power against each other, to try and outclass the other. Gohan gritted his teeth, his sword held in two hands as he fought through thick and thin to try and force his opponent back. Only Scythe seemed to be at an advantage. Taking his sword into two hands now, the white haired warrior began forcing Gohan back, the young Saiyan trembling more in this battle of strength.

Scythe smirked. "Shall I give you despair?"

Gohan growled. "NO!!!" With a mighty burst of strength, he sent Scythe flying back and through the air. The dark warrior landed against the side of the mayor's office building, dropping into a stance and smirking down at his opponent. Gohan furrowed his brow, taking his sword into two hands and pulling it back. Quickly, the Super Saiyan warrior saw that his _Gun Blade_ was no match against Scythe's ultimate blade, the _Fissure Blade_. So the young Saiyan quickly opted for a change. Mustering the _Spirit Blade's _power, he produced a new sword. In a flash of light, his _Gun Blade _transformed into a large, long sword about the same size as his _Angel Blade_. It was double-sided, with a centre piece indicating a split-end with a large, curved handle, a standard pommel and unique handle guard, double-sided and stacked. As soon as this new blade came into the picture, Gohan suddenly pulled it apart, a smaller version of his _Buster Blade_ appearing in his left hand from the side of the sword. Now he wielded two blades, one in each hand. With that, he spun both blades round in his grasp and dropped into a stance. His sword had formed into what he called his _Switch Blade_.

With a yell, he leapt forward and landed on against the building, a level above Scythe. The white haired warrior turned around, smirking and running up at him. Gohan brought both his blades to brunt on Scythe, striking out with his right. His opponent blocked it, striking back up at response, backing down, Gohan blocked it with his left and jabbed with his right, having blade knocked away and forcing him to spin around and strike with both swords at Scythe's side. The warrior was fast with his one sword and was easily able to block it, both of them becoming locked in a lightning fast, devastating battle. The two fighters walked across the side of the building, mostly moving up and down and changing positions as they relentlessly attacked each other, the glass cracking at their feet and the walls denting. The people on the ground gazed up at them in shock, watching them move along the side of the building locked in battle. Videl and the mayor were especially shocked, eyes widened.

With whirlwind like strikes, Gohan was evened out easily with his opponent, both his swords making sure even ground was based between them. Scythe was constantly driven back, but always managed to get back at his opponent with quick counter attacks and retaliation strikes. More sparks flew, the flashes of their blades making them stand out easily like a firefly at night. The noise they both made was easily heard too, with yells and grunts also sounding as well every now and then. Nothing could stop these two; they were madly at it and intent on killing each other. But this fight was all the more confusing for everyone watching, because they had no idea what the two were fighting about.

Striking out with a stab, Scythe tried to impale his opponent but Gohan spun around it, parrying it with his left before spinning around and slashing at Scythe's head with a right. The warrior ducked, responding with a overhead strike and sending it down at Gohan. The young Saiyan blocked it with his right blade and then stabbed out with his left, his opponent side stepping bringing his sword round. With a quick pivot motion, he struck out, Gohan jumping into the air and landing on a story above his opponent. The dark warrior leapt at him, coming in with a chop strike that only drove his opponent back, causing him to hit the glass window instead and shatter it. After which, Scythe pulled his sword up into two hands and stabbed out again, Gohan batting his sword away and striking out with both his swords with an 'X' slash. The two-pronged attack drove Scythe back, the warrior back-flipped and dropping to the turf far below. Landing crouched to absorb the impact, the warrior stood up and glared up at the building side, smirking.

Gohan growled, taking both his swords and slapping them together again. Once they were clicked together, the young Saiyan ran along the side of the building, sprinting at full speed before pushing off, sending himself hurling at his opponent. Hooking through the air, Gohan struck at him with an overhead slash, only to having his blade collide with an overhead strike sent by Scythe. With both swords locked there, the two of them went on to glaring at each other hatefully with intense, angered expressions on their faces. Gritting his teeth, Gohan pushed forward, but was unable to force the dark warrior back. Scythe responded to this in kind, eyes flashing.

"Absurd," the warrior stated. "Defeating me is meaningless. You know that more than anyone, Echo." Gohan glared at him, fury burning in his eyes as Scythe applied more pressure, which began to force him back. However, they were still stuck like this, both of them keeping up their strengths and giving the crowds something to awe. Scythe grinned, applying more strength to the grapple. "No matter how many times I fall…your darkness keeps…calling…me…back!" he growled while trying to push Gohan away.

The young Saiyan growled, pushing back with more force and putting them at an equal level again. While they were both applying more pressure, Gohan grinned at him.

"What darkness…?" he asked.

With both of them growling, they both pushed each other away. They landed 12 meters away from each other, Scythe taking the stance he had taken at the beginning and Gohan assuming a basic one. They glared at each other, taking each other's stances into consideration for a moment. Scythe smirked, eyes flaring.

"The darkness that surrounds your past," he stated. "You can hide it as long as you want, but I'll eventually find it!" Gohan scowled, eyes also flashing dangerously.

Videl blinked, looking between the two warriors and their blades. She could see that this matter was still being argued over, and wondered if she could play her part in this. The raven haired girl knew she could help; so after a few more seconds of thought, stepped forward. She walked over to Scythe, balling her fists and glaring at him.

"You're wrong!" Gohan saw what Videl was doing and immediately became worried. He gritted his teeth and waved at her.

"Videl! Stay Back!" The raven haired girl turned to him, eyes narrowed.

"I want to help!" Scythe glanced over at her, eyes still burning. When he saw who it was, he stood to full height and gripped his sword tightly in his right hand.

"You can't," the warrior stated. "He's doomed to fall…" Videl furrowed her brow and then glared over at Scythe.

"He won't! I know he won't let us down," she replied. "To defeat the darkness inside of him, he just needs someone to surround him with light…"

Scythe glared at her, wondering who this girl was and why she was standing by the side of his opponent. Well, he was getting tired of this girl's persistence and swung his blade around, pointing it directly at her. In response, Videl leapt back and dropped into a fighting stance. All the while, her eyes never left Scythe's, even though she was sweating nervously.

"The darkness will be there, Scythe!" Videl stated. "But in a place you'll never be able to reach! The Gold Fighter is good, and he'll never fall to darkness!" Scythe smirked, nodding in understanding.

"Is that right?" he asked. "Then I presume you're willing to fall in his place!" Bringing his sword up, he slashed it down at her fast, but Videl managed to avoid it and, with a yell, she charged at him, sending a right punch straight at his face. Scythe smirked, side-stepping and turning round as the girl flew past her. The crowds were shocked, wondering what has gotten into her head to attack so recklessly. When the raven haired girl landed, she turned around, still dropped in a stance. Gohan growled, stepping forward.

"NO!"

With a yell, Videl charged at Scythe again, aiming a left jab, right hook, and left roundhouse kick at the dark warrior's head. However, as fast and as she hard as she struck, she missed him every time as Scythe continued avoiding her blows. Videl landed a second later, crouching low before jumping up and spinning round, sending a right, backwards round-house kick at Scythe's head again, only to have him avoid it. Then, as Videl dropped to the ground she was about to attack again when Scythe brought his sword up and struck down at her, intent on finishing her. But, just as the girl was about to get struck, Gohan appeared in front of the blade and blocked it with an over-head block. Their blades clashed loudly, sparks flying and Videl spared from a painful fate. The surrounding crowds gasped, in relief and shock.

As Gohan bit to hold his position, he glared up at Scythe through their grapple, seeing him smirking down at him…taunting him. Videl shook as a result of that startling move, taking a moment to recover before seeing the Gold Fighter throw off his attacker, Scythe soaring back and landing 12 meters away. When he stopped, the dark warrior took a stance, facing down against his opponent with a hard stare. At the same time, Gohan assumed another stance, sword held forward in two hands. Eager to help and just recovered, Videl stepped forward.

"Gold Fighter, you can have my light!" she said. Gohan glanced behind him at her, but looked forward again to see if Scythe was still there. His opponent brought his katana up, taking a new stance with his eyes locked onto the young Saiyan in front of him.

"The light doesn't suit you…"

Gohan sighed, closing his eyes. It was then he glanced back at Videl and smiled at her, eyes shining. "Thanks…Videl…" The girl smiled back, watching as the Gold Fighter took a new stance with his sword held behind him, held firmly in his right hand and well balanced. Just then, in a magnificent display of light, Gohan changed his sword once more, throwing the blade up and sending his command into it. A golden glow illuminated around both of them, and in a flash of blinding light, his sword's handle suddenly extended into a spear, and the sword's blade transformed into a huge, buster blade of a sword with a single, long blade edge with a back edge strengthened to support it.

When his sword formed into that huge spear, the young Saiyan dropped it and held it in two hands, spinning it around and throwing it out to his side, the blade changing direction before contracting into a proper sword. When it did, he held it up, a golden glow still surrounding it before he propped the weapon onto his shoulder, smirking as he glared over at Scythe. There, he saw the dark spirit staring at him in shock. The weapon Gohan now wielded was all too familiar to him.

As explained, the sword was huge, buster blade size with a single edge, stretching round with it ending at the handle. The pommel and base of the handle was attached to that part of the blade, with the handle guard the same guard as the _Spirit Blade_, gold and claymore based. The base of the huge blade was thick to support the slicing edge and formed into a triangle, attached to the original blade and extended on. The centre blade was also attached, bearing the appearance of a long-sword and infused with the main blade. Then there was the blunt edge, which was shielded by a metallic guard similar to his _Buster Blade _design which was built solid into the weapon. At the pommel, there was a chain that ran down from it, with the end, key chain forged into a sapphire amulet. The whole sword seemed to glow with Gohan, and to add to it, crackled with gold and blue electricity.

When his sword became all that it was, the young Saiyan dropped into a fighting stance, holding onto it as if he were pulling it out of the sheath on his back and taking his Mystic Dragon Stance. Videl and the people awed at his new self as he shone with gold and wielded his weapon. Scythe was shocked, taking a step back and trembling a bit.

"T-That sword…" Scythe stammered. "That sword was forged by life itself…the _Force Edge_…"

Gohan smirked. "The Ultimate Spirit Blade, Scythe!" he yelled. "You don't stand a chance now…"

Scythe growled, crouching low before leaping into the air. "STOP!" he roared, climbing to a high altitude before hurling towards his opponent, sword raised back and ready to strike. Gohan resumed his stance, his aura suddenly exploding around him with full force, accompanied by golden bolts of lightning and that radioactive glow that surrounded him before, only this was far more intense. It was at the sight of Gohan's power up Scythe stopped, wings spread out and a surprised look on his face. He gazed down at his opponent, seeing him glaring up at him with yellow eyes and a serious scowl imprinted on his face. He backed down, holding his sword up in defense before leaping up, stopping at about 15 meters above the ground.

As soon as Scythe took his place at that altitude, he held his sword up in defense and smirked. "Tell me what you cherish the most…" Gohan scowled, aura growing fiercer at the sound of his voice. Videl, who was standing behind him, was safe as the young Saiyan had produced a barrier around her to protect her. However, that didn't work for everyone else as they were caught up in his vortex of power, which grew and grew into a storm. Scythe didn't falter under it though and assumed his stance, grinning. "Please give me the pleasure of taking it away!"

Gohan growled. In a burst of energy and power, the young Saiyan took flight, hurling straight up at Scythe. As he did so, he pulled his sword back, which sparked a bright, golden glow. Even with his opponent's closing fate, he didn't stop taunting him.

"There's not a thing I don't cherish in this world, Scythe!!!" the powered up, Super Saiyan yelled, throwing his sword forward. In a flash of light, eight golden blasts of energy shot out and surrounded Scythe distracting him as this move caught him completely off guard. With a gasp, he looked around, seeing him surrounded by these orbs of energy, which crackled and sizzled in his sights.

Just then, with a speed far great then Scythe could count, Gohan shot at his opponent, slashing out at him in a powered up charge. He shot past, heading for one of the orbs and absorbing it. He flew back, slicing again, stopping at another orb and absorbing. Once again, he shot at Scythe again, slashing out every time he passed with each strike as decisive and deadly as the first. The dark warrior was shocked, the pain coursing through him in incredible waves. Then, after a final pass, Gohan flew up, throwing his sword into the air before catching it in a firm grip. With his weapon held in two hands, he gritted his teeth and dove straight down at his opponent with one, final strike. That end slash cut through Scythe like the wind, ending with Gohan landing crouched on the ground, eyes closed sword no longer in his hands. When he stood up, he looked up, golden specks of energy starting to rain down on him. When he did, he raised his right hand and caught his falling sword with ease.

Lowering his arms to the side, Gohan glared straight up into the skies. There, he saw Scythe's shadow lined image and a eye of a cyclone form miles above, light falling onto the scene as if the Gods themselves were responding. It was at this sight the young Saiyan smiled, eyes flickering.

"It's over Scythe," he stated. "Stay where you belong…in my memories…"

Scythe, who was hovering above the ground with his wings extended and sword still held in his hand, glared down at Gohan. Suddenly, he seemed to have lost all life. He emitted no energy signal, nor did he emit any source of life. Because the truth is…he doesn't exist anymore…

The dark warrior glared, yellow eyes flickering. "I will…never be a memory…" he replied in a slow, calm voice. Then, closing his eyes, his wings wrapped themselves around him, hiding his form completely. It was with this move his wings started losing their feathers, all of them blowing away in the wind. When all the feathers disappeared and all of them disintegrated into nothingness, it left nothing but air in place. Scythe was gone…

Gohan sighed, his eyes trailing down through the sky when suddenly, he saw something drop. When his eyes reached the ground, he saw Scythe's sword land, impaling the ground and sticking there proudly. With its connection with its master severed, the once katana formed sword turned back into its saber form. The young Saiyan scowled, approaching the weapon and glaring down at it.

For a moment, he stood there staring at the piece, with the crowds watching him with awe, interest and astonishment, wondering what he was going to do next. Gohan knew exactly what to do. Raising his sword, the young Saiyan held it up high for a moment, before chopping down at the _Dark Blade_ with a clean, powerful strike. He sliced the thing clean in two, and when he did, bolts of blue lightning shot out of it before it exploded, turning into a whiff of smoke that disappeared onto the wind.

Silence fell, and Gohan could finally rest. Sighing, he spun his new sword round in his grip before sheathing it onto his back all cool style, with the weapon turning back to its normal form, before he lowered his arms down to his sides. He was hell exhausted, but was happy all the same.

When he sheathed his weapon, he turned round, eyes glancing over at Videl standing in the background. She was looking at him in surprise and with a curious tint in her gaze, something he would expect to see from her. Even so, he was still happy to see her alive.

The young Saiyan smiled and saluted to her.

"I'll see you next time, Videl," he exclaimed. With those words said, he powered up and took off into the distance, flying at full speed so that he was out of sight within seconds. No one knew where he had gone, but as he was leaving, everyone raised their arms and fists, and let out a wild cheer. It was all the Gold Fighter could have asked for, as he fought for them…

Videl stared in the direction the Gold Fighter had flown off in, blinking a few times while staring. It was then she crossed her arms and smirked.

"You can count on it…"

She was for certain. Cause for all everyone knew, light was easy to find…

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_

****

* * *

_**Power levels:**_

**(Battle with Scythe II):**

**Scythe:**

Scythe (Base-Full Power): 200,000,000

Scythe (Darkness Stream): 350,000,000

Scythe (Dark-Winged Angel): 450,000,000

**Gohan:**

Gohan (Base-Full Power): 200,000,000

Gohan (Super Saiyan): 400,000,000

Gohan (Super Saiyan – _Force Edge _- _Light of the Heart_): 500,000,000


	53. It Only Gets Harder

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_It Only Gets Harder_

"Hey, how does this look on me?" Lime asked as she stepped out from behind the full-body mirror, dressed in a green skirt, blue and yellow, long sleeved, striped shirt, sport shoes and wearing a red head-hand. Erran, who was sitting on the chair behind it with her head propped up on her hand, looked her over a couple of times and shook her head.

"Look girl," she started. "If you were going into a martial arts competition, this outfit would be perfect. But when it comes to on the street, stylish and trying to pick up guys…" she waved a hand at her. "You can forget it…"

Lime, who was also wearing fingerless, forest camouflage gloves, folded her arms over her chest and gave her a frustrated look. She looked like she was going to have a fight with her friend right then and there. But after taking things into consideration, she sighed and took up a hurt expression. "Well…you don't have to be so harsh about it…" She disappeared behind the mirror and into the dressing room behind that. Erran, still wearing the same clothes she did almost everyday, sighed and looked away, getting a little bored with all this waiting. She wanted to try on something too…

Seconds after Lime disappeared, Eraser appeared on the Erran's left, the opposite side of the mirror. When she did, she was wearing a pink, leather shorts and a blue tube-top, her hair done up into a bowl. She also wore large, ring earrings, matching bracelets on both wrists and a silver-crown, head band. At her appearance, Eraser bumped up her hair a bit and tried a pose, smiling. "What do you think, Erran?" she asked. "Pretty neat, huh?" Erran looked up, and nearly fell backwards out of her seat at the sight of the colorful girl. Shaking her head and rubbing her eyes, the blonde haired girl tilted her head at Eraser and gave her a funny look.

"W-Whoa!" she exclaimed, shaking her head again. "Now…that's taking accessorizing…waaayyy too far!" Eraser shrugged.

"What?! Come on, it's not that bad!" she replied, twirling on the spot. "And it does a lot for my figure! I mean, sure the crown, bracelets and earrings don't match. But I really love these shorts!" The girl smoothed out the tights, only for Erran to shake her head more, sigh in distress and slap her forehead.

"Oh, mother-help-me," she murmured. Eraser crossed her arms.

"Fine, if you don't like it, I'll try on something else!" she stated. Turning on her heel, she disappeared behind the mirror and back into the dressing room. Erran stared at the ceiling before falling forward, annoyed and bored. Why her? Not only was she dragged to the mall by Lime, Erran and the others, but now she was forced to endure watching her friends trying on outfits and be the only one not trying on stuff. All around her in this little store, she could see other girls, women from teen to middle age, trying on clothes and having a good time.

Well, it could be worse. One day, Eraser suggested that they all get-together on a weekend and go to the mall together, just for a friends day and all. Anya and Lime were in full support, whilst the guys, Videl and Erran were a bit hesitant. Well, eventually they were convinced to tag along and…here they were! The whole group had broken up upon entry to this establishment with all of them currently browsing around. Eraser and Lime were looking forward to buying some more clothes. Videl was hanging around with Gohan again, and Sharpener was with Pencil in a store called _Sports Mart_. Anya, well…she was hanging around a jewelry store, since she had a fancy for shiny stuff etc.

After a while of sitting around, Erran looked up, getting a surprise to see Anya, Videl and Gohan walking towards her. Her mood brightened up at the sight of them, and so got to her feet to greet them.

"Hey guys!" she exclaimed. They all waved back.

"Hey there, Erran!" Anya replied happily with a smile. "What's up?" she asked. Gohan placed his hands on his hips.

"Are those two at it again?" he asked, having a hunch he knew what was coming. Hey, during his time at school he stopped off at the shops a couple of times, sometimes to hang around with Videl and Eraser, or perhaps with Lime, Erran and Anya whenever they said they were going to quick stop at the parlors. You'd expect the half-Saiyan to get around when there weren't any crimes bothering his schedule.

In response to Gohan's question she nodded and gestured over towards the mirror she had been staring at. "Yeah, trying on new clothes again," she said lowly. "Honestly, it's so annoying! They kept me here for an hour, watching them try on new stuff!" she whined. Videl shrugged.

"Well, what're you going to do? It's their nature!" she stated. Gohan nodded in agreement. Erran just smiled.

Just then, both Lime and Erran came out of the changing room, both of them carrying three boxes of combination clothes they'd like to buy. When they did and they spotted Gohan, Videl and Anya, they smiled and rushed on over. Reaching their troop seconds later, they were greeted by smiles and welcomes, with Videl opening up the floor.

"So…had a good time?" she asked the two. Lime and Eraser nodded affirmatively.

"Yup! A really good time!" Lime exclaimed. "Look, I got this heaps cute outfit! The white T-shirt, oh and the jeans, sooo today's wear! I swear it goes great for my butt, no joke…and this one…"

"Yeah, and there's this heaps cute top; yellow tie front with blue hearts on the back. Great for the beach! It may be revealing, but it's sexy! Also great when trying to get a guy's attention! And…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Videl shouted, waving her hands in front of her at the two. "Slow down there. I just asked whether the two of you had a good time. Gees, you're getting so deep into detail there. I need to sit down…" Lime and Eraser glanced at each other for a moment, shrugged and then looked back, smiling.

"Sorry V," Eraser said. Lime grinned and stepped forward, leaning close to her ear and pointing over to Gohan.

"Hey, we could get you something really hot. That'll definitely catch Gohan's attention!" the brown haired girl exclaimed. Videl was taken aback by this and looked at her in surprise.

"W-What?" Lime grinned mischievously.

"Come on. We all know he likes you! And it's pretty obvious you like him too!" the girl continued to whisper out of earshot. Even if she was whispering Gohan would still be able to hear them, but he was currently preoccupied with talking to Anya and Erran. Anya was showing him one of the tops she had just picked out, and he was nodding at it, looking to see if it would look good on her or not. Erran however had a trifle with pink tops with red butterflies on it, since it sort of looked like a playboy thing. Anyway, as Gohan was talking to the two girls, Lime continued to pick on Videl. Eraser also decided to join in.

"H-He likes me?" Videl asked, blinking in surprise. Eraser leaned in as well, both girls cornering her with her back against one of the clothes hangers.

"Yeah! I mean, do you see the way he looks at you during class time. I can see the fire in those eyes girl! It's not that hard to miss," the blonde exclaimed in a whisper. Lime nodded in agreement, with Videl really starting to get nervous from all the attention.

"And the way you glance at him and sort of…gaaaze into his eyes. (Whistles) I can see it now. Gohan and Videl Son…those two names sound great!" the girl exclaimed. Eraser looked at her, eyes wide and looking a bit surprised.

"Ooh…husband and wife. Are you sure you're not taking it too far?" the blonde asked. Lime looked back, both of them still cornering Videl and happening to trail off at that moment.

"Oh come on! I know guys and girls in my village; they get traditional weddings when they hit thirteen. Mostly a family thing but when it comes as a request, it can be arranged. It's no biggy," Lime stated. "I never followed those traditions anyway…"

Eraser looked a little disappointed. "Dang, marriage at that age," she groaned. "And I have to wait till I'm twenty. Paps says it's a family tradition." Videl was getting red in the face, and was really getting annoyed at all this chatter while she was almost pinned to the clothes behind her.

Lime gave her a nervous sort of smile. "Yikes, not till your twenty. My grandpa wants me to get married now…and quick! But I haven't found anyone right for me yet. I never even had a boyfriend before!" Eraser grinned.

"Hey, I know!" she began. "How 'bout that guy in the second row. You know…the hotty with black hair, the kick-boxing and the build!"

Lime gave her a funny look. "What? Ben?"

"Yeah, that's him!" Eraser exclaimed. "You know, the guy's been giving you the interest-eye!" Lime's expression seemed to brighten at this news.

"Really!?" she practically shouted. Eraser nodded affirmatively.

"Uh-huh!" the blonde ratified. "He's one-live-candy waiting to be eaten. Quick, get him before he's taken!" Lime looked a bit downed at the end of this.

"Oh, I'm not sure. What if he's going out with Angelina?" she asked. Eraser waved a hand at her.

"Those cheerleaders are too busy talking about basket ballers and what they look like when they sweat in those turtle necks. They're not interested in martial artists these days, not unless the competitions are on. This is peak season for you girl. I mean, you both do martial arts!" Eraser pointed out, starting to make a list. "You're both tough, you both like romance genre movies, and…you both like hot chocolate…" Lime raised an eyebrow at her.

"He likes hot chocolate? How do you know?" Eraser shrugged.

"Simple, I just asked. Buuuut…he's not interested in me," the girl exclaimed. "I'm already with Sharpener. I swear, the guy's gotten really picky since our last conversation. Oh…where was I. Ah yes, yeah…you see, it's easy. Just go up and ask him! It's not so the drama. Just ask whether you want to go to the movies or to a restaurant and…I'm sure he'll say yes!"

Lime grinned. "Okay! But…what about interests, I don't know the guy?" Eraser tilted her head at this.

"That's why on dates you learn more about the guy then you…" She couldn't finish her sentence when Videl suddenly burst out.

"GUYS, YOU LOST YOUR POINT ALREADY!" she screamed, practically making the whole store jump. Everyone looked over at the girl still cornered by Eraser and Lime, the two girls looking mighty startled after being interrupted from there little conversation. Realizing that all eyes were on her, Videl ducked a bit and waited for everything to return to normal. Eventually everyone went about their own business yet again, leaving the raven haired girl and her two friends to their business.

After seeing everyone turn away, Videl got back up and fixed her shirt a bit. Then she refocused attention on Eraser and Lime and rubbed her forehead. "Look guys. I know what're your trying to make me realize, but…come on!" Videl said waving her arms before grabbing them hem of her shirt. "How can you make me look good from this? I never dressed into anything fancy before!" Eraser placed her hands on her hips and smiled at her.

"Oh girl, you don't even take the time and effort to do your hair properly," Eraser said, shaking her head. Lime smiled at her as well, nodding in agreement.

"How do you expect to catch Gohan's eye like that?" Videl twiddled her fingers a bit, looking down with a nervous smile and a light blush.

"Well…I do…sort of…kinda like him," she said, lying about most of the facts about it as well as getting jumbled in her sentence so it didn't seem so obvious. She looked back up at her friends, her old persona returning, eyes flaring and fists balled. "But that doesn't mean I'm dressing into something else to catch his outer eye he probably doesn't have! Heck, if what you say is true about Gohan liking me, then he might like me now as I am then in any fancy dress or tight jeans!"

Eraser whined. "Oooohhh…Come on V. At least try it out just once!" Videl crossed her arms and stuck her nose in the air.

"Nope," she stated firmly. Lime and Eraser looked at each other, staring for a moment before grinning mischievously. Suddenly, the two girls reached out and grabbed Videl by the arms, amazingly able to drag her from her place and into the changing room.

"W-What…where are you taking…hey!" Videl shouted. Eraser and Lime grinned at her.

"Just this once, Videl!" Lime exclaimed. "Trust us! You won't even recognize yourself when we're through with you!" Videl kicked and screamed, but all in vein as she disappeared into the changing room in the custody of the two girls. Gohan, Erran and Anya had heard the commotion and turned to see Videl vanish into the dressing room, obviously the doing of two shopping crazy girls. They all sweat dropped, all of them looking at each other. After which they sighed and shook their heads.

Poor Videl…

* * *

_**A few minutes later…**_

Waiting for Videl, Eraser and Lime to be done in the dressing room, was a lot like waiting at a bus-stop for your trip to come by and pick you up: sitting or walking around with nothing to do, looking at random stuff and hoping to Kami somebody you don't know will come up to you and start asking you questions. It was like that, only this was far more awkward. Waiting in a dressing store was not the environment Gohan was hoping to wait in, and felt a bit out of place as he was the only straight guy waiting in here.

After those few minutes past, with the three waiting patiently for the other girls to be done in the dressing room, they soon saw Lime and Eraser come into view, stepping out from behind the mirror. Upon entry, the two girls cleared their throats and drew Gohan, Erran and Anya's attention towards them, smiling triumphantly. As soon as they got the desired attention from their other three friends, both girls parted and made space view behind them, gesturing towards the middle.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Eraser began.

"After long churning and backbreaking work, we have finally done the impossible!" Lime continued, both girls using announcing toned voices.

"So hold your applause and gasps till its required time, and set yours sights upon the new Videl Satan!" Eraser exclaimed with the grand finale, both girls stepping away and allowing the other three to get a better look. With the conclusion of their announcements, Videl Satan stepped out of the dressing room and into view. Standing before the whole group, she looked at herself and performed a twirl, stopping with her hands on her hips and her eyes glancing down at her side. Everyone who hadn't seen the whole evolution process Videl went through was dumbstruck.

Gohan gawked at the girl with wide eyes, looking her up and down in disbelief. He hardly recognized her. The raven haired girl wore sport shoes with tight, jean shorts, the exposure showing off her incredible, slender legs, the whole world bared wide open to them. Above that, she wore a white tank-top, not too flimsy and not too masking, but perfect for her figure. Her stomach and midline showed, her whole body outlined and portrayed in the outfit. To complete it, her hair cuffs have been removed, and she no longer had pigtails. Her hair flowed down gracefully over her shoulders, shining in the light there was to be had. Whatever happened to her other outfit, no one knew. But whatever memory there was of the old Videl was washed away and replaced by this new, transformed state.

After gawking at Videl for at least a minute, Erran and Anya broke into applause, with Gohan shaking his head and rubbing his eyes. Videl smiled and took a pose, shrugging at the other two girls.

"Well, what do you think?" she asked. "I know it isn't totally flashy, but I've got to admit, even I like it!"

Erran was bewildered by this comment. "Not flashy! Girl, you look hot enough to melt ice in record time!" Lime nodded in agreement, brushing her nails against her shirt and admiring them.

"I'd say our work is a success," the brown haired girl stated. "I stocked the shorts myself!" Eraser smiled and nodded.

"And the hair was of my creation," she continued. Videl smiled and performed another pose, turning around and glancing over her shoulder.

"Yeah…I guess I do look good in this," she replied, trying not to sound too enthusiastic about it. Eraser and Lime glanced at each other, giving each other the thumbs-up before looking over at Gohan to see his reaction. While Anya and Erran walked over to Videl to get a closer look at her outfit, Gohan was left standing stock straight where he was, arms crossed and a smile on his face as he looked the girl over up and down. Though it wasn't the true gawking expression they were expecting from him, the two girls responsible for Videl's change saw the fire burning in his eyes. It was a clear representation of lust, and not just the regular longing they had noticed when he was staring at Videl as they spoke.

Over-all, their operation brought the whole success of bonding one step closer. To edge it on further, Eraser walked over to Gohan and smiled, nudging him in the side.

"Go on, Gohan!" she exclaimed as the young Saiyan glanced down at her in surprise. "Go say hello to your dream girl!"

Gohan chuckled, arms still crossed. "You figured it out huh?" he asked. Lime nodded her head affirmatively.

"Of course," she replied. "What, you thought it was _that_ hard to miss?"

The young Saiyan shook his head. "Nope. I just didn't have the guts to admit it officially." With that final word said, Gohan approached the raven haired girl to get a closer look at her, and to compliment her on her new look. Erran and Anya parted ways, allowing their friend to step up to the plate. As soon as the spiky haired male reached the glamorous female, Videl blushed and pushed a couple of strands of hair behind her ear. Lowering her head a little, she gazed heatedly up at Gohan, who smiled down at her with his left fist on his hip and right arm at his side.

"H-Hi, Gohan!" she exclaimed. The young Saiyan chuckled, giving her another warm smile.

"You act as if you haven't seen me all day, yet you're glad," Gohan said. Videl hid another crimson high blush, but was unable to hide her bashful expression.

"Well uhh…oh! I got nothing!" she replied. The teenage half-breed grinned and reached over, brushing a couple of strands of hair hanging in front of her forehead.

"Will you settle for this then?" he asked, before passing on this heart warming compliment. "You look beautiful…"

Videl smiled lovingly up at him, batting her eyelashes and shuffling on the spot nervously. Placing her hands behind her, she gazed up at him freely with that open smile. "T-Thank you…" Gohan grinned.

"It's alright," he replied. "Hey, you want to go grab a sundae or something?" Videl shook her head and punched him in the arm.

"Oh, always thinking about iced-coffee!" she bluntly exclaimed. "Alright then. But only after I pay for my new clothes…"

The two of them strode over to the counter, under the watch of the other four girls on the scene. Looking at each other, the group grinned and all gave themselves the thumbs-up.

Things were slowly coming into the light…

* * *

_**A week later…**_

Once again Gohan was up and ready for another day at school, which he thought, as always, would turn out to be a blast. Just like every other day, he came prepared with everything, with his school gear packed and sword hidden in his guitar case. It was then, after having everything packed early for school he decided to go over to the old place and have some breakfast with the rest of his family. After all, he wasn't expected to skip out every waking day without seeing any of them before heading off. Besides, he could use with some of his mother's fried rice and egg.

Walking into the building unannounced, he ventured on through the hallway before entering the kitchen, finding his mother at the kitchen desk, and his father and brother at the table. As soon as he stepped in through the arch, Goten and Goku became alerted to his presence. They both looked over at the eldest son in the family before their expressions were replaced with delight. Goten was the first to brighten up.

"Hey, big brother!" the chibi exclaimed happily. Goku waved over to him.

"Hey son! How's it going?" the Son father asked, their exclamations catching Chi-Chi attention to the scene. She immediately saw what had started up this new commotion.

Gohan grinned and pulled up a chair, taking a seat while setting his guitar case and school bag beside him. "Things are going great dad," the young Saiyan replied, smiling over to Goten. "And good morning to you too squirt!" Goten grinned before leaning over towards him, a happy smile brimming his face now.

"Hey, Gohan! Do you want to spar later today?" he asked excitedly. "Trunks and Vegeta are coming over for a visit, it'll be fun!" Gohan blinked in surprise.

"What? Those two are coming over?" he said questionably. His mother had finished up with frying the egg and Choy sum, striding over and setting it down on the table along with the other entrees. Sighing, she also pulled up a chair and sat herself down, looking over at her confused, eldest son.

"Yeah, didn't you hear, Gohan?" the Son mother began. "Yesterday we invited Bulma, Vegeta and Trunks over for a _dinner-day_. It's also paying them back for inviting us over to their place last weekend. I'm sure you haven't forgotten…" Gohan smiled after hearing what there was to be said, nodding in response.

"No, just slipped my mind for a moment," he replied, rubbing his forehead. "I sort of had a rough night…" Goku glanced over at him curiously, blinking in surprise.

"What? Did you have another mid-night training session, or was Piccolo giving you something mind-boggling to think about?" his father asked. Gohan smiled over at him and shook his head again, looking a little down the weather. Well, what do you expect, his hair wasn't upright as it was every other day, so something eventful must have occurred.

"Nah. The old dog doesn't have anything that can surprise me," the young Saiyan replied. "Plus his routines are easy. I tried to catch some Z's, but ended up having a bad dream." He concluded it with a lower of a gaze down to the table's surface. _"Yeah right Gohan! Quit lying already! It was another dream about Videl! You just can't get over her…"_ There was just something about an erotic set up in a bedroom and two people (boy and girl) that made him feel a bit on edge. Or maybe it was his hormones acting up on him again. Either way, it was still a very…unexpected vision.

Goku took another closer look at his son, but smiled a few seconds later. "Don't tell me. Was it another one of your Videl dreams?" the older Saiyan asked. Sensing the prospects of teasing, Chi-Chi leaned forward with a grin, also wanting to join in on this little pecking order.

"Ooh…my son is having lust dreams," the Son woman exclaimed happily. "That can only mean one thing!" Goku smiled at her and held his fist out.

"First marriage…"

Chi-Chi grinned and also held up a fist. "Then grandchildren!"

"Oh Yeah!" they both shouted together, tapping fists before turning back to a very bright red Gohan. The young Saiyan crossed his arms, sweating a bit before answering to his parents' excitement. They practically left Goten sitting in the dark, the little half-breed watching with a puzzled expression from the background.

"Am I that obvious?" Gohan asked. Chi-Chi and Goku leaned back, both of them looking proud and sporting mischievous smiles on their faces.

"Parents know best!" Chi-Chi stated, gesturing over to her husband to take it away.

"It's not only your mother's intuition but a little something we call a strong, family bond!" the spiky haired Saiyan said. In continuation the two of them winked at their son. "And we'll soon be grandparents, whether you like it or not!" Gohan sweat dropped, sighing in content and propping his head on his hand. He gazed in distress down at the piles of food. In the lapse the rest of his family was involved in, Goten started digging into food, a couple of the main plates disappearing from the table.

"Great…" Gohan mumbled. "…first my mum is obsessed with grandchildren, now dad is! What is up with my family? It's like…" he was cut off when he noticed his favorite fried rice get snatched up by his little brother. The older Saiyan gawked but then leapt forward, snatching it into his grasp but ending in a wrestling match over the rice. Goten immediately put up one hell of a fight. "Hey! Goten, give that back! That's my dish!"

Goten grinned, sticking his tongue out. "If you want it, try and get it!" the chibi growled back, both of them pulling the bowl between the two of them. Goku and Chi-Chi watched the two of them fight over the bowl of fried rice, looking a little bewildered as their descent family conversation grew into a Saiyan fight over food. Meanwhile, as the two kids fought, Goku noticed that the bowl was passing right in front of him. So, helping himself, since his sons couldn't decide who gets the first serve Goku picked up a spoon and began getting dips in every time the bowl passed him. This continued for a few more seconds till about half the contents was gone.

Eventually, Gohan relinquished his hold on the bowl, Goten claming it like a trophy. Thoroughly amused, the older half-Saiyan decided to help himself to something else, rather then fuss over something as little as a bowl of rice. He learned from the phrase, _if you can't beat them, join them_. And that's exactly what he did. Picking up a fork, he joined the rest of his family in the act of breakfast, helping himself to a plate full of different fried rice, a couple of sushi rolls, two pork buns and Choy sum mixed with scrambled egg. He had a good time with his family, eating and sharing recent experiences and jokes. Eventually, family time had to come to an end as Gohan had to head off for school.

Collecting his stuff and thanking his mom for a wonderful breakfast, he sprinted out of the house and took off. Leaving his residence in the dust, he sped off towards Satan City without the use of his aura. He didn't want the risk of being misinterpreted as a missile or unidentified flying object so kept his speed and appearance at a low. But still in the safety zone, he continued on his flight carefully while admiring the view. He passed over various hillsides, roads, farmlands and forests, the peacefulness of this area only coming from the Ox-Kingdom. Basically his grandfather owned the whole region in and around Mount Paoz. It was one of the largest kingdoms next to the King's, and a splendor it was. However, most of the stuff in the kingdom went on down in the capital and everyone could live with it. Not many ceremonies, just the casual working days of life.

Gohan smiled, looking over the lands and onto the horizon. He was sure to see the city soon, and wasn't inclined to let anything bother him today.

"_Maybe I'll pay a visit to Café de la. Surely they'll have something brewed up now, since I visit so frequently," _Gohan thought, hunching an eyebrow. _"I should get a sundae for Videl as well. She'll like that…"_

Suddenly, while in mid-flight and thought, Gohan saw a flash of green light out of the corner of his eye and turned to his right to see a giant, green energy ball heading his way at an extreme, high rate. The young Saiyan gasped, stopping track and moving in avoidance, watching as the ball of energy hooked through the air and shot towards the mountains on the horizon miles away. Seconds later, another flash of light occurred and a mushroom cloud came into view, making Gohan gasp at the sheer amount of energy packed into that attack.

Wanting to know who was responsible for this, he turned back in the direction the blast had come from, and got a real big shock. Floating at a higher altitude about a mile away, the young Saiyan spotted a very familiar looking figure hovering amongst the clouds.

A tall figure, muscular and very Saiyan like, floated amidst a golden, warping glow with a green shield surrounding him. Wearing unique, yellow cuffed combat boots, white, baggy gi pants, large red sash, golden belt and wrist cuffs, as well as a shiny necklace, Gohan moved his gaze further up. Form the pulsating green energy balls held in his grips, the young Saiyan moved over his chest and torso area where he saw various, red scars that have healed over time, showing off a well known wound. Gohan then moved up to examine the blonde, golden locks of spiky hair and turquoise colored eyes, a sinister smirk edged across this Saiyan's face. Gohan knew this man very well, only he thought he was dead…

The Saiyan that had attacked him let out a bellowing laugh, energy shield around him expanding and pulsing ever more, showing off a great deal of his power. Gales of wind emitted off of him, nearly knocking Gohan out of the air.

The young Saiyan was astounded, mouth agape and eyes wide. "I-It can't be…Broly!"

He was still alive…

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_

****

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_

Oh, about the Scythe thing, I watched Advent Children and basically got the idea to make an opposite for Gohan with an opposite blade to his. He isn't as strong as Broly…yet…but certainly makes Gohan's life hell most of the time. He isn't such a major threat to the universe, since he can't even take over earth yet, but is gradually getting there. Also, Gohan's attack on Broly was a one in only shot, unique just like all the other ways other villains died.


	54. Darkness Opens

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Darkness Opens_

Gohan gritted his teeth and dropped into a stance. _"Not now!"_ he thought furiously. _"Why does it have to be now? I don't have time to fight him! I'll be late for school. And I don't think I'll be able to pull off the same stunt I did with him twice! This is bad…"_ The young Saiyan was thrown into another rut. And he was right about one thing, this was bad. The rest was uncertainty.

Broly was back, and he looked more then willing to step into the second round with the young Saiyan. The last bout was definitely one to remember, when the two super powered warriors nearly tore the mainland apart. The planet was lucky to have survived, as well as every other fight Gohan had fought in recently and in the past. His last victory in the fight against Broly was a narrow one, where he was able to muster up all the strength he could in his ultimate sword buster move. But that was a one timer, his sword can't possible handle the strain of a second use. If he was lucky, he'll be able to beat Broly while he's in his Super Saiyan state.

In order to stop the Super Saiyan psycho from reaching his legendary state, this fight would have to be quick. School had to wait, this was far more important.

"_Shoot!"_ the young Saiyan thought. _"No use in trying to talk this guy into another time. Saiyans don't sit well with that. Guess I'll have to take him out the old fashion way!"_

Broly let out another, bellowing laugh, glaring down at Gohan before his expression changed to one of pure anger and hate. His muscles buffed up a bit more, and his energy raised several clicks. This was something the young Saiyan could count on from an old foe.

"G-Gohan…" the Saiyan growled. "Y-You'll die at my hands!" He raised his right hand and pulled it back. With a loud yell and a gale of force winds, Broly pitched his next attack at his target, the ball of green energy held in his palm suddenly hurling through the air right at its selected target. Gohan growled, leaping a bit higher into the air to avoid the attack. The green meteor like attack shot into the distance, striking a distant hillside and exploding with colossal force, turning the whole area there into one big crater. Without a second thought longer, Gohan dropped his school bag and charged, yelling in his attack. Broly was ready…

Grinning, the Super Saiyan psycho pulled his left hand back and pitched his second attack, the energy ball hurling at its target in a dead long game of chicken across the mile's distance between them. Gohan was closing the gap fast, covering the distance without the use of his aura. Spotting the attack flying towards him, the young Saiyan calculated his odds of survival. Quick analysis told him best, and he wasn't inclined to get incinerated. So he super speeded out of the way, the attack missing him completely. He appeared a split second later, continuing on his flight path and charging at his opponent. However, just as Broly was assuming a fighting stance and the young Saiyan was within attack range, Gohan disappeared again, blurring out of Broly's sights. The Super Saiyan gasped, gritting his teeth and glaring over his shoulder to see his opponent appear 25 meters away. Gohan was already on the attack.

Pulling back his right hand, he threw it forward and unleashed a powerful golden ki blast at Broly, the streaking energy lighting up the sky. Broly growled, spotting the blast and pulling back his left hand over his right shoulder. With a grunt of effort, he chopped at the blast and disintegrated it with that single bat, sparks of energy remains flying everywhere. Just then, Gohan appeared behind his opponent, using super speed once again to gain the upper hand. Broly sensed his opponent behind him and spun around, catching the fist that was sent at him. The two adults were firmly locked in that position, both of them glaring at each other with fury burning in their eyes. It was then the taller of the two moved on, proceeding to grab his opponent's arm in two hands and spin him around. After a few cycles, Broly threw his opponent towards the ground, Gohan yelling at the top of his lungs as he spun out of control.

Seconds after throwing his opponent, Broly cranked his right hand back, a green ball of energy appearing in his palm before he threw it forward. Upon released, the energy ball exploded and scattered into three dozen more blasts, the attack taking the form of a cluster blast. Gohan continued to fall, but eventually flipped back into submission and stopped his flight. When he did, he saw the rain of energy blasts heading straight towards him, and immediately went into defense. Quickly, he unzipped the guitar case behind him and drew his sword, catching it by the handle and immediately producing a belt and scabbard. As soon as his sword was drawn he began spinning it around him, blocking all the incoming attacks and easily destroying each and every one of them. Stopping the rain of attacks that came down upon him, Gohan spun his sword round and sheathed it, gritting his teeth as he glared up at his opponent. More explosions occurred far below as the unstopped attacks collided with the earth.

Broly grinned, furrowing his brow at his opponent floating far below. It was after a moment's glare the Super Saiyan dropped into another attack stance, his opponent also taking decisive action. With a growl, Gohan shot forward and up towards his opponent hundreds of meters away. Within seconds of moving into his charge, the young Saiyan flashed into super speed, flying up at Broly faster then a speeding bullet. A split second later, Gohan appeared right in front of his opponent and sent a left uppercut right into his opponent's face, hitting him hard and staggering him back. The blow created a shockwave that bounded across the skies, but Broly easily recovered from the attack and sent a right roundhouse kick at his opponent. Gohan ducked, moving up and sending a right hook. His opponent backed away sharply, avoiding it be driving his right knee up into his opponent's stomach. Gohan cupped his hands down, catching the knee and flipping over the Super Saiyan titan. Broly spun around meeting his opponent with a right, straight punch. Gohan caught it in his two hands, gritting his teeth and holding that position before motioning his hands round, pulling Broly forward and tripping him up. His opponent fell forward, allowing Gohan to drive a knee into his stomach. The blow landed, staggering the big Super Saiyan before the young Saiyan sent a right elbow into his back.

This combination ended the bout, and sent Broly plummeting. But just as the Super Saiyan had fallen seven stories, he managed to recover, and with a growl, flashed into super speed. Gohan dropped into a defensive stance, only to receive a left round house kick across his face. The blow, though staggering, didn't do any serious damage and Gohan easily recovered, both of them neck and neck in terms of power now. After quickly regaining his senses, Gohan pulled his right fist back and sent it at his opponent, only to have it caught by his opponent, who sent his fist back into his face. The young Saiyan yelled, staggering back with a bruised face. Broly used his opponent's lapse as an advantage and held his left hand forward, a massive green ball of energy forming before expanding in a forward blast explosion. Gohan caught it fully, and was sent flying back. The spiky haired warrior cried in agony as his burnt, smoking body hurled through the air. Incidentally, Gohan was sent flying in the direction of Satan City, which was already in view. However, he didn't notice yet, and just stopped himself from his flight.

Flipping back into a stance, the young Saiyan warrior gritted his teeth and glared ahead of him where his opponent was. Broly was already on the attack, charging at him across the skies. With a bellowing yell, the Saiyan psycho sent a straight left punch at his opponent, Gohan leaping out of the way to avoid it. When he did, the spiky haired teen brought both his hands above his head before throwing them forward, palms cupped together and fingers extended. Yelling out, he fired off a blue energy ball at his opponent, hitting him in the back. The attack exploded with sheer force, Broly's growl of pain echoing in everyone's ears before the damages were clouded out by black smoke. Suddenly, just as the cloud was forming, Broly appeared from it, an angry expression on his face and charging at Gohan with an animalistic shine in his eye. Gohan gasped dropping into a stance as Broly leapt at him, reaching out with his right hand. He grabbed his opponent's head, pulling himself forward and driving Gohan's face down into his knee. The Super Saiyan pummeled him in the face, releasing him as his opponent staggered back, coughing up blood and eyes tightly shut. Then, finishing his move, Broly cranked his left fist back and drove it forward, sending it into his target's face. The blow sent Gohan falling again, the young Saiyan plummeting from the skies out of control.

Right now, it seemed that Broly had the advantage of power.

Eventually pulling himself up out of his fall, Gohan swooped across the ground and floated up, fisting his hands at his sides and gritting his teeth. Sighting out his opponent hovering high in the sky, the young Saiyan threw both hands forward. With a enraged yell, he fired off a barrage of a dozen, highly concentrated golden energy blasts, his _Scattered Volley Shot _coming into the picture. Seeing this, Broly grinned and threw his right hand forward, producing his green energy shield which easily protected him from the energy blasts that dug in deeply before exploding with little effect. A cloud of white smoke formed from the failed efficiency of the bombardment. When that cloud eventually lifted, Broly was revealed floating where he was, wide grin on his face and glaring down at the earth far below. However, he got quite a big shock when he saw his opponent was no longer in his sights. Seconds after spotting this, he spun around, seeing his opponent leaping high above him with his right fist pulled back, blue rays of bright light issuing from the cracks in his fist. With a yell, Gohan threw his next attack forward, the shattered blast sending scattered shards of energy flying at Broly. The Super Saiyan had no time to make any good defenses except cross his arms over his face as the attack exploded upon reaching him, the sky lighting up in a ball of fire. The various explosions that occurred were matched by the largest that took place, smoke rising into the air and clouding the airspace.

Gohan leapt back through the air, stopping at least 50 meters away from the sight and glaring at it. With the end of the explosion and the production of the thick, black cloud, the young Saiyan responsible for the mess watched and waited to see if any real damage to his opponent was made. When the cloud thinned out and lifted, he saw a still floating Broly with major burn marks and bruises, arms still crossed over his face. Lowering his guard, the Super Saiyan growled and glared across at Gohan, that sinister look turning into a familiar, Saiyan grin. Gohan's attack had very little impact damage, and that made the young Saiyan nervous. Broly was as strong as he was before, and that was bad news on the hero's part. Growling through gritted teeth, Gohan dropped into another stance before beginning to power up.

With a loud yell, Gohan crossed his arms over his face before throwing them out to his sides again, his golden aura exploding around him and outfit changing. His black hair spiked gold, and his eye color averted to a teal, his black leather and trench coat coming into view as well as he assumed his Gold Fighter state, even though it was Super Saiyan with his new gi. Glaring ahead of him, Gohan charged, the burst of speed igniting a shockwave as he made his way over to his opponent. The burnt Broly in turn also charged, both of them flashing into super speed, reaching each other within seconds.

Just as they both appeared out of thin air, their fists clashed in a mighty shockwave, followed by simultaneous elbow blows and knee strikes. After which the two both flashed into super speed at the same time and took their fight to a whole new level. Powerful shockwaves soon began ripping through the skies high in the atmosphere and close to the ground, the very earth itself shaking from the fight. Whoever was around at the time would assume that an earthquake was in process, but it was far more serious then that. It was a clash between super powers of opposite ends, one of pure evil, and one of pure goodness. They were the only ones who could produce a battle this brutal, and it certainly made every other fight thus far look like nothing.

Within moments of the fight, both fighters were careering across the skies, heading in every direction possible whilst engaging in close quarter combat. They flashed in and out of sight, shockwaves produced with every collision of fists and impact of kicks. Both fighters were truly pouring it onto each other, both wanting to down their opponent without a second thought. It seemed as though they were both equal now, but with Gohan's recent increase in strength and training over the past seven years, one would think he would be the stronger. Unfortunately, that was not to be. Broly too has gone through an extraordinary power boost, him being the Legendary Super Saiyan and recovering from life critical wounds being understandable. He was giving even Gohan at Super Saiyan a fight for his life. As they fought, his power slowly increased, reaching a level in his form no one would think it possible.

Reappearing out of thin air, both fighters charged at each other in the ten meter gap and threw their right fists at each other. Knuckles cracked against each other, bolts of electricity shooting out from between their power improved attacks. Both gold and green shots of lightning went off before the two warriors disappeared into thin air again. They once again moved into a high-powered chase, blurs seen shooting through the skies and more shockwaves occurring. Just then, Broly appeared in the air, gaining altitude with his right hand held out. As green energy began to form around him and shrink into his palm, the Super Saiyan twirled on the spot, gathering energy at an incredibly fast rate before releasing it in one mighty burst. With a bellowing yell, he pitched the attack forward, sending it earthly wards. Appearing beneath him and in front of the attack, Gohan fazed out of super speed and, in a blink of an eye, drew his sword and sliced the attack in two, cutting off its forward momentum and reducing planet destructive capabilities. With that quick slash down at the blast, sawing it in two, the young Saiyan spun the sword in his grip again before sheathing it, flashing into super speed again as the two halves of Broly's attack crashed into earth, igniting in two high powered explosions. Broly growled, flashing after his opponent into super speed as well.

More shockwaves ran out, blue and green flashes of light occurring before they began exploding like fireworks careering across the sky. Then, after a few more moments of engagement, Broly reappeared, falling back with a growl of anger. Gohan appeared above him, bringing both hands back before throwing them forward, unleashing a quick Kamehameha Wave at Broly with a yell. The golden attack streaked through the air, with the Super Saiyan warrior floating back chopping out with his right hand, disintegrating it and leaving its effectiveness inactive. Following after the failed attack, Gohan appeared above Broly, right fist and bodily form cranked back. With another loud yell, he punched out, slamming his fist straight into Broly's face, the crack and shockwave occurring at a tremendous level. The Super Saiyan was thrown back by the very force, spinning out of control before eventually stopping himself, blood dripping from his lower lips and red, bruise marks imprinted all over his face. Just then, after growling and glaring up at his opponent, he swiftly moved to the side as Gohan shot down with a left straight kick, only to miss and fly further down. The two of them were right on the border of Satan City. It was then Gohan realized finally where they were and cursed to himself at his luck.

Turning back to his opponent, Gohan let out a gasp when he saw Broly with his left hand pulled back, green energy forming and gathering into his palm. The high concentration of energy alerted Gohan to the threat, and after dropping into a stance, the young Saiyan watched as his opponent pitched it forward. The ball of energy shot at him, with Gohan throwing both his hands forward and producing a mass of energy as a shield. He fired it at point black range at the incoming ball, with the blast that followed reduced to that of a regular ki blast exploding. Unfortunately the force was directed towards Gohan so when the explosion occurred, the young Saiyan was sent plummeting at lightning strike speed. A split second later, the young Saiyan crashed straight into and through an office building, punching a nice hole through before crashing to the road behind the building. Debris and rubble flew everywhere, with a cloud of dust covering his crash point. Broly laughed, powering up before flying after him.

When the cloud of dust settled, with crowd of shocked people gathered around the crater, Gohan stood up, getting off his back and taking a stance. The landing had done little damage, but his head was still ringing from the explosion of his blast connected with Broly's _Blaster Shell_ signature attack. If that had hit the planet's surface, it would have destroyed its core just as Frieza's attack had done with Namek. He didn't have time to contemplate this though. So ignoring the shocked gasps and murmuring of the surrounding people, with a couple of them taking photographs of the scene, Gohan glared up, teeth gritted and eyes flashing. Those who were watching were wondering what the Gold Fighter was doing at this time, but soon found out when he leapt backwards through the air and another, bigger and meaner Gold Fighter came crashing down, sending a kick into the earth where the previous Gold Fighter had been. A split second later after the force of the kick died down, Broly moved forward and flashed into super speed, pursuing his opponent. People were ecstatic at the prospects of a fight between the Gold Fighter and a new nemesis, but weren't too fond of having it in their city.

Flipping round, Gohan landed on top of a building and dropped into another stance, only for Broly to reappear several stories below and shoot up at him, unleashing a punch that went straight through the building and up at Gohan. The young Saiyan disappeared into super speed, just as more rubble and debris went flying, and a cloud of dust enveloped Broly, whose attack missed. A second later, the Super Saiyan pursued again, chasing his opponent through the city streets and maze of buildings. Shockwaves began ringing out as both fighters fought it all out above the heads of the people far below, windows shattering with mostly glass walled buildings nearly turning into mush. Shards of glass from the windows fell to the ground into the people, but luckily most of Satan City's population managed to find refuge under balconies, car parks, highways and other sources of cover. It was to be minor losses to both fighters as they carried the fight deeper into the city.

Appearing out of mid-air, Broly curled into a ball and spun through before opening up and driving a momentum spurred axe kick through the air straight down at his fast moving opponent. Gohan also appeared, solidifying underneath Broly's incoming foot and blocking it. With a loud shockwave, the young Saiyan held up his right arm, which connected with his opponent attack, holding them in place before Gohan batted it away. With a yell of power, the young Saiyan shot up at his opponent again, driving a powered up jab into his opponent's chin. The blow struck, sounding another shockwave that rippled through the wide open skies and staggering the Super Saiyan. A split second later, Broly shot at Gohan and drove a right punch into his face, that blow bruising the Gold Fighter and knocking him back, only for the young Saiyan to retaliate with a right roundhouse kick to his opponent's face. Responding quickly, Broly sent a back fist strike at Gohan, knocking him across the face as well before receiving a swift elbow up to his chin. In turn the young Saiyan attacker received a powerful uppercut to the stomach, which he immediately responded to by sending an elbow across Broly's face. These constant exchanges of attacks continued on, the shockwaves coming in hard and fast sounding more powerful blows landing again and again. The people on the ground thought they were under attack by an enemy army. How wrong they were…

Leaping backwards through the air and gaining a higher altitude, Broly brought both his hands forward and, with a quick power up, launched a rarely seen energy blast down at his opponent. The blast streaked through the air, only to meet a deflective chop from Gohan, who sent the attack flying into the distance. Upon blocking the blast, the young Saiyan bought his right hand over his left shoulder, clenching his fist tightly before throwing it across and out, unleashing a barrage of blue energy shards up at Broly. The energy-increased attack hurled at its target without any hope of stopping, the Super Saiyan yelling loudly and crossing his arms over his face, taking it all. Fiery explosions of atomic proportions engulfed him in an airborne blaze, people crying in terror far below at the sight of the napalm effective blast. After seeing his opponent vanish within the smoking flames, Gohan took flight and shot into it when it cooled down, disappearing into super speed before vanishing altogether. A split second later, more shockwaves and sonic explosions began ringing out, these ones coming out at an ill rhythmic pace. After a few moments, both fighters shot out of the smoking fires, Broly back-flipping as he retreated and Gohan in hot pursuit.

With a yell of rage, Gohan sent a jab straight into Broly's face, the blow landing before the young warrior received a punch of his own, both of them suffering a lot of damage this time around. Another brutal bombardment of shockwaves and explosions of force began raining down on the city again, damaging skylines, bringing down mega buildings and toppling cars. People were thrown to the ground from the very forces going off around them, scared out of their minds. However, it was perfectly normal for Gohan and Broly, who were the main causes of this wide spread mayhem. They battled on, gritting teeth and locking horns time and time again, blood now flying from cuts and blows to the face. It shed unto the earth beneath them, with their power levels rising…

Within moments, the fight soon drew itself to Orange Star High School…

* * *

_**Meanwhile…**_

Inside the walls of Satan City's main high school, no one, not even the teachers knew of the commotion and disasters raging on outside. It was completely hard to believe. Everything beyond this prison of a place would have to be turned topsy-turvy, thrown about like a rag doll and spat out, crumpled into a war zone first before anyone knew anything about it. That's what was happening right now, but very few knew and the ones who were supposed to know didn't care. Around the time Broly and Gohan's fight was taken right above the school grounds, right outside the windows of the many classes, the earth trembling shockwaves they let off only occurred as tremors inside the solid built structure. The students thought it was just a few semi-trailers or a nearby subway line flying by, maybe even a low flying aero plane or the janitor working in the hallways. Whatever the case, the trembling of the ground meant little to them.

The class of _Room 101_, Gohan and Videl's class, things was pretty much the same as always. There wasn't much commotion, and the teacher was rambling on about basic indices, which was to be included in a soon to be coming test with geography and trigonometry. Students listened on intently, even though they were all bored out of their minds. With books laid open in front of them and pens in their hands, the usually colorful kids were lowered by the lack of fun.

Videl, Eraser, Sharpener, Lime and Erran sat in their usual seats, all of them staring down at the board below. In an amusing act of disinterest, neither of them seemed to notice Broly and Gohan right outside their window, the oval tearing to shreds as they battled on. For a moment the two warriors appeared in mid-air, the window blocking off all sound of the two. From Videl's seat, if she were turned toward the open, unblended window, she would see Broly grab Gohan by the hair and repeatedly ram his fist into his face. A second later, Gohan kicked Broly across the face before driving a barrage of punches into his chest, sending him back. They then flashed into super speed again.

Now more overly exhausted at the teacher's yakking, Videl glanced over at the empty seat beside her, the seat that was supposed to be occupied by her love interest. She looked quite downed at the sight, and was feeling a whole load of concern wedge itself into her mind. The raven haired girl propped her head and sighed, gazing at the seat.

"Where's Gohan?" she asked. "He's never this late!" Eraser, hearing Videl's sulking question glanced over to her and shrugged.

"I don't know V," the blonde replied. "Maybe he's sick…" Videl glanced up at her, not afraid to show her hurt.

"Gee…I don't know," the raven haired girl said. "He seemed fine on the weekend…"

Just then, the class's math teacher far below spoke up, drawing everyone's attention to her with a wave and a loud, clear of the throat. Holding up her text book, Miss Lin jabbed at the page open up in front of her, while looking towards the rows of students in front of her. No one was inclined to interrupt, or ruin her good mood.

"Now, can anyone tell me, without the use of a calculator, what the answer for _Question 15_ is?" the red haired teacher asked. The students remained silent; blinking as the tremors suddenly took a higher volume of force. Videl noticed this slight change, but didn't focus too much concern around it yet. She was too busy trying to solve the question in front of her. After a minute or so of clueless thinking and silence, Miss Lin sighed and shrugged.

"Come on class!" she exclaimed. "It's not that hard! Let me simplify it then. Give me the answer to the square-root of 576!"

Suddenly, out of nowhere and coming in unannounced, the window-side wall of the classroom suddenly exploded, rubble flying everywhere as Gohan suddenly shot through it, crashing to the ground, skidding across before stopping at the other side of the class. The students and teacher gazed in shock, their hearts skipping beats at the sudden interruption by the local super hero; even Videl was bewildered. After a moment or so, as the dust settled and the mess of scattered rubble and debris became clear, the students and Miss Lin looked towards the door where, lying beside it, embedded into the wall while bathing in a deep entrenchment, they saw the Gold Fighter stagger to his feet. Head dipped and looking more beaten up then usual with his sword still flung onto his back and sheathed, he pulled himself up and looked up. Dusting his pants and trench coat, he glared up.

When he finally realized where he was, he glanced over towards the students to see them all staring at him wide-eyed and mouths agape. When he saw his friends up on the higher levels, he grinned rather stupidly before waving to them.

"Hi…everyone…" He then glanced over at the teacher, seeing her staring at him with a similar expression and a very familiar math book open in front of her. When he saw the page, he smiled and pointed at her. "The answer is 24…" With that, he glared ahead of him again towards the massive hole he had punched into the classroom wall. When he saw Broly appear on the other side, floating some distance away with a grin on his face, the young Saiyan became enraged. With a loud yell of anger, his golden aura exploded around him, hurling more dust outwards before he dropped into a stance.

"BRING IT ON!!!" he roared, his warping energy increasing tenfold before he flew out of the class and back outside, sending more debris and dust flying. The slowly recovering class was awakened from their shocked stares by the storm of deadly smoke screens, all students gathering their bearings before leaving their posts. In an amassed crowd with Videl and the teacher in the lead, they appeared at the entrance hole the Gold Fighter had made. When they gazed outside into the bright lights of the world beyond, they saw the Gold Fighter and some big, blonde haired psycho battling it all out in the skies above. On closer inspection, the whole class could see that the two fighters were fighting at speeds faster then normal, their blurring forms and attacks being evident.

Both Gohan and Broly remained in sight for those few seconds before eventually flashing out of sight, chasing each other through the skies before appearing elsewhere, both of them still attacking each other. With their yells and growls echoing through the air, shockwaves occurring with every blow landing, they eventually flashed out of sight again. The audience stepping out through the hole in the wall and onto the grass were looking about awe struck, trying to find the two fighters as they fought on, feeling the very forces of the fight coming down hard on them. The earth trembled more violently out here, now that everyone had their eyes on the battle taking place, with everything seemingly bouncing off the ground with every shockwave that occurred. Videl was bewildered. Even though she had seen the Gold Fighter fight like this before, at this magnitude, it was far more intense then his last battle with Scythe in front of a live audience.

Soon, as the battle dragged on, more fireworks and explosions shot up. Appearing above the ground, Gohan drew back both his hands, throwing them down towards the ground left and right, one after another and unleashing highly concentrated energy balls one by one. The ki attacks shot toward the earth, exploding simultaneously, and going off with loud bangs and shockwave of force. More dust and debris flew everywhere, nearly destroying the whole school's exterior make and perhaps even the interior. Okay, now this would surely turn some heads in this direction. However, by the time that attention was drawn, both fighters stopped, Gohan appearing 30 meters in front of his friends with his back turned to them, and Broly landing 60 meters away from him. Both of them stood steadfast and glaring at each other, bruises and other inflicted wounds visible on them. The damage, well…that was a totally different story altogether.

As soon as they were grounded, Gohan gritted his teeth, golden bolts of electricity sparkling around him. Broly on the other hand, after standing there for a few moments under the eyes of both his opponent and the crowd in the background, grinned before erupting with amused laughter. His hollering voice echoed all around, sending chills down everyone's spines, since it was truly the voice of someone beyond the call of evil.

Broly had his laugh, a clearly amused look on his partially burnt and bruised face. It was only after laughing for a minute or so he eventually calmed. When he found that his enjoyment of this fight was wearing thin due to the even ground he held with his opponent, he gritted his teeth and growled. Suddenly glaring hatefully at his opponent, the big, blonde haired brute then went through the transformation anyone was sure to awe and fear. After trembling with pain and anger for a moment, the Super Saiyan's expression sharply turned pained and shocked. Allowing his power to consume him, Broly reared back and let out a bellowing cry of pain, cracks and splits appearing all over his body, with green beams of energy beginning to shoot out. Seconds later, his muscles bloated before exploding, a green orb of energy expanding out from him along with his energy. The combined input and output was catastrophic, and in a blast of wind and a mind-boggling shockwave, the Super Saiyan transformed, his scream echoing all around before subsiding with the moment.

The skies clouded and darkened, leaving way to an unstable atmosphere and environment that could only be altered by an extreme power output. Once again, Gohan had to experience the harsh reality of this fight, as he was facing off against the most terrifying villain of all. Gritting his teeth, the young Saiyan took a firmer stand as he gazed upon the new form of his opponent. The rest of the audience was shocked beyond belief at what they now saw standing in the tall guy's place.

Not only taller, Broly's size and mass in his muscles had tripled in size. Bulkier then ever with slightly toned, green hair, his irises and pupils had completely vanished. Floating in his eyes now was nothing but cold, white emptiness. To add to it, his aura had become a lighter gold, green in a form of course, and his energy level had skyrocketed so far that it was impossible to miss. With a power that stemmed beyond that of his regular Super Saiyan form, Broly had once more transformed into the Legendary Super Saiyan. This was truly the form Frieza feared, as well as everyone else confronted with this monster.

Growling under the strain of energy, Broly grinned before glancing back over at his opponent. Struck by the full force of his opponent's power, Gohan stepped back, taking a stance with an angered expression edged out on his face. With their stares fixated, Broly raised his right hand and pointed at the young half-breed standing before him.

"I'll make it quick and painless for you," he hissed. Gohan fisted his hands, eyes narrowing and teeth bore angrily.

"There is no end for me…NO END!" Gohan shouted. "I'll make sure you won't come back this time!" Broly spat, grinning again with his hollow, haunting eyes.

"You got lucky!" he stated, grin growing wider. "If you'd just let me kill you now, you won't have to deal with the pain I have in store for you…you complete and utter waste of Saiyan blood!" Gohan growled.

"No way!" he shouted. "Not on my watch!!!" Balling his fists at his sides, Gohan suddenly threw them up over his head and reared back, letting out a bellowing cry as his golden aura exploded around him. In a fierce display of power, his energy skyrocketed just as Broly's had done, but didn't get to even half-way of the Legendary Super Saiyan's power. However, as close as it came, the young Super Saiyan transformed, his aura spiraling around him like a tornado, winds bellowing out of him accompanied by bolts of golden lightning. As his cry rang out for miles, the tornado of energy around him shot up into the sky, followed by the sudden changes that occurred to him in a single, flash of light.

Within moments, his scream died down, and his aura compacted to its original size, but with a fiercer warp. When the young Saiyan lowered his arms to his sides again, he glared up at Broly with turquoise toned eyes, spikier, more defined hair, slightly bigger muscles and a golden aura with blue electricity crackling around him. His transformation was as dramatic as his opponent's, and the students of Orange Star High School now watching were even more shocked then before.

For someone in Gohan's position, the young Saiyan found it hard to control the output of his high energy level. But like Broly, he was able to contain it, so that the bolts of electricity weren't as lethal and his warping aura that produced high winds was at minimal bare. However, no one could deny the astonishing sight standing before them.

"Wow!" Eraser exclaimed happily.

"Would you look at that!" Sharpener said with an open mouth.

"Have you ever seen the Gold Fighter do that?" another girl asked from the crowds.

"I don't know, but he looks a little different," another person replied. "He looks stronger…"

"No kidding…"

Videl blinked, trying to move forward a bit more but was afraid to get in the way. This looked a bit out of hand, even for her. After reassuming a proper stand, the raven haired girl stared at the big guy for a moment before turning back to the Gold Fighter. When her eyes settled on his new, Super Saiyan 2 form (even though she didn't know), her sapphires shone.

"Amazing…" she whispered. "I've never seen the Gold Fighter in this form before…"

Suddenly, things began to explode outwards like a wildfire across an ocean of kerosene. The ground tore up beneath Gohan's feet as he powered up, his aura turning pure gold with the currents of blue electricity shooting outwards with incredible intensity. Fury burned in the eyes of the young Saiyan as he assumed his symbolic stance for his form; stance wide, right arm held forward and left fist pulled back to his cheek. His aura matched the emotion blazing within him.

"A true Saiyan is determined by the strength within him, Broly!" Gohan roared. "Not what you claim yourself to be!" With that bellowing yell, Gohan leapt and shot forward, charging at his opponent. The ground tore up beneath him as he hurled through the air at his opponent, right fist held back and target set. Broly grinned, assuming a basic stance and holding his ground. By measuring his opponent's power, he knew that he held no competition. The Legendary Super Saiyan would own this, and defeat his opponent within a minute of the fight.

Seconds later, Gohan reached his opponent and, with another yell of anger, sent a staggering punch into Broly's face. The force driven into it was astounding, but did little to falter Broly or his stance. As soon as the young Super Saiyan 2's fist, hit, a shockwave rang out, the force moving out and rebounding, with the Legendary Super Saiyan left standing unharmed, grin still in play. After which, Gohan went ahead and began driving hundreds of punches, kicks, hooks, uppercuts, knees and elbows into the body of his opponent. He drove forward, continuously attacking without a moment's rest. He tried aiming for all the vital point that would stagger an ordinary fighter. But Broly…he was no ordinary fighter. He just stood there and took it all, the hundreds of blows coming at him connecting with his body with enough force to reduce a whole mountain range to rubble. The shockwaves rang out with explosive effects, cracking the ground beneath them.

As their aura blazed, Gohan pulled back and spun through the air, aiming a left, powered up roundhouse kick at his opponent's head. This time, after inflicting so many blows on his opponent, the young Saiyan was able to budge him. The blow struck, staggering the Legendary Super Saiyan to the side, who was still grinning wildly. But you can't ignore the fact that he sure felt that. After the blow connected, Gohan leapt stance side before flashing into super speed, appearing behind his opponent and sending a powerful fist into his back, just below the neck. That blow struck and knocked his opponent forward slightly a bit. A second later, the young Saiyan flashed again into super speed, appearing in front of Broly and bringing his left fist back. With his fist crackling with gold electricity, he drove it forward, letting out a yell as he plunged the fist into his opponent's face. That mind-boggling blow knocked his opponent staggering back, with finally some damage taking place.

After a few steps, Broly glared forward and growled, dropping into a stance and flying forward. He threw a right hook at Gohan, only to miss when the young Saiyan back-flipped out of the way to avoid it. When he landed several meters away, he flew forward again in a charge. With a yell, he sent a right punch at Broly, the massive fighter holding his arm up, swiftly blocking it and the left body shot afterwards. He then blocked a right roundhouse kick while maintaining his forward standing position and smirking wildly. After which he stopped a knee from coming at his face by catching the offending blow and pushing Gohan back. After which he cracked his left fist back and threw it straight into Gohan's stomach. The blow created a shockwave, which struck Gohan head-long and staggered him. The young Saiyan reeled forward with a gasp and a choke, blood flying free from his mouth.

With his assault stopped. Gohan could do nothing as Broly grabbed the back of his head with his left hand and swung him in, slamming his right fist into his face, before driving him down into his right knee. The shockwaves that rang out cracked the ground, Gohan letting out cries of agony after each hit before he was eventually released. However, what followed was not quite as expected. Upon letting his opponent go, Broly brought his left hand up and powered up an ordinary ki blast, sending it right into his stomach at point blank range. The energy ball exploded at point blank range with such force it sent Gohan's burnt body hurling backwards through the air, spinning out of control.

Only a hundred meters of flight was had before Gohan managed to back-flip and land upright, skidding along the ground and drop into a stance. Gritting his teeth, the young Super Saiyan powered up again. Despite all the pains he felt from the damages, he pushed off the ground, punching a crater into the earth before charging at his opponent full speed. Broly growled, letting out a roar of a yell before powering up as well. His green aura burst around him wildly, tearing up the earth before he pushed off the ground. The very force that shook the foundations caused the earth to crumble and collapse from where he took off, massive chunks of stone and earth lifting off the ground and the cracks spreading outwards. Upon seeing his opponent lift off, Gohan changed direction and shot up after him, bolts of lightning shooting out of his aura as he gave chase. The pair left behind a slowly collapsing ground, which caused more damage as expected as the school itself began sinking into the earth. The earthquake that took place sent students running, with only Videl, Sharpener, Eraser, Lime, Erran and Anya maintaining their places, watching the colossal fight at hand even though everything around them was falling apart.

With Broly reaching a height far above the city and Gohan quickly leveling some distance from him, the two continued their brawl. Knowing his endurance was wearing thin, Broly would have to attack soon and get more into the fight if he was to win. Gohan knew this as well. Letting out a growl, Broly shot forward, with Gohan flying at him in kind. Cranking back his fist, the Legendary Super Saiyan sent a powerful jab at his opponent, only for Gohan to avoid it and drive forward, his fist glowing blue as he sent it straight into his opponent's face. The _Mystical Dragon Fist_ blow created a shockwave on impact, and sent bolts of blue lightning shooting everywhere. It also staggered Broly slightly, but to him it still felt like a lightweight's punch, with the smirk placed as evidence. After recovering from that, the massive Super Saiyan brought his own right fist back and drove it into his opponent's stomach, the shockwave ringing out being ten times that of Gohan's blow. The young Saiyan reeled forward with a gasp, his arms crossing over his stomach afterwards. With his opponent's defense lapsed, Broly drove a left hook across the young Saiyan's face, another shockwave ringing out and Gohan's aura disappearing. The two-combo attack sent Gohan plummeting, winded and unable to recover fast enough.

Falling for several stories, Gohan flipped back and resumed a fighting stance, glaring up with blood leaking out of his mouth. Up above him, he saw Broly smirk and raise his right hand, green energy gathering and concentrating. When the ball of pulsing energy appeared and pulsed brightly, the Legendary Super Saiyan cranked that arm back and, with a enraged yell, through pitched it forward, sending the _Blaster Shell_ straight down at his opponent. Gohan yelled angrily, throwing both hands out and unleashing his symbolic _Scattered Volley Shot_ upon Broly and the approaching attack. Several of his blasts curved around the approach attack and struck Broly, exploding with magnificent ferocity before the last five struck the green energy ball, igniting it and exploding with atomic bomb like force. The sky filled with a bright green light, as Broly's blast exploded sending a coursing blast of force in every direction and further adding damage to the earth below. The two fighters however were affected little by the explosion and carried on the fight.

As soon as the explosion died, leaving a cloud of smoke floating high above the ground, the two fighters charged, with Broly striking out with his right fist and Gohan sending a right roundhouse kick up at him. The two clashed with a resounding shockwave, with Gohan honing in with a powerful left hook across his opponent's face, which did very little, and Broly driving a left uppercut, both blows sounding loudly and sending both fighters back. The young Super Saiyan 2 warrior was staggered, but despite the pains flowing through him he kept a strong, well-balanced stance. Broly on the other hand, was grinning wildly and looked as though nothing has hurt him yet. He remained strong, while Gohan was faltering.

Growling, Gohan dropped into a charged stance and hurled forward, only to receive a big shock when Broly shot forward faster then he could see and ram his left palm into his face, grabbing it and then driving forward. The Legendary Super Saiyan dropped out of the sky, throwing Gohan straight down first and crashing him into the ground at a dangerous speed. The landing formed a crater beneath them, the earth becoming disheveled before suddenly collapsing under the strain. Gohan let out a muffled cry under Broly's hand as he was forced into the ground before the Legendary Super Saiyan eventually pulled up, with his massive hand still wrapped around his opponent's face. However, as Broly was pulling up and preparing to drive his opponent into the ground again, Gohan turned the tables and used his ki to push up and send a right roundhouse kick right into his face. The blow surprised Broly at the force and staggered him, the Super Saiyan releasing his prize. As soon as he felt the hand relinquish its hold, Gohan flew back and up, coming to float high above his opponent drifting above the ground five meters. Then, after studying his opponent for a moment, the young Saiyan flew forward and, with a yell of power, sent a right roundhouse kick into the Legendary Super Saiyan's face again. The blow rocked the earth with a shockwave, with the amount of power used enough to reduce a mountain to nothing.

However, just as Gohan was drawing his leg back, he saw Broly grin at him before the Legendary Super Saiyan raised both hands up and at him. In a flash of light and a massive explosion, the big brute unleashed a double energy ball attack at his opponent, which sent Gohan hurling away with a yell of agony and shock. As Gohan flew along, Broly sprinted forward, catching up with his flying opponent and beginning to drive various punches and other attacks into his defenseless body. The blows were lethal and no less then powerful before he sent his opponent away again with a right hook, increasing the speed of his flight. Broly let out a sinister laugh of amusement as he ran on, holding his right hand forward and pulling it back, a ball of green energy quickly forming. Taking aim, the Legendary Super Saiyan pitched it forward, sending it into Gohan's stomach which drove into him and sent him into the wall of the school, the blast exploding and leaving a young Saiyan imprinted in its side. The students watching were shocked, especially Videl's group, who was slightly scattered due to the conflict raging on. They gazed over at the school's wall where the Gold Fighter was imprinted, seeing him stuck there, helpless.

Gritting his teeth with his eyes tightly shut, the battered, burnt and bruised Saiyan warrior gazed up. It was remarkable he was still in his Super Saiyan 2 form. Years ago he faired better against Broly because there wasn't anyone around and he wasn't afraid to use his full-power on him. But here, he was worried his attacks would harm more people then he would in protecting them, what with the destruction of a single blast. Things were spiraling out of control.

When he looked up, Gohan let out a gasp when Broly suddenly appeared in front of him and sent a mind-boggling punch straight into his gut. The shockwave that rang out was tremendous, but the force wasn't directed towards the wall behind him so it didn't collapse. It was meant for Gohan alone, and the young Saiyan, out of sense of his own body, felt his insides break. He reeled over and vomited up blood, which spilled onto his opponent's still extended arm. Broly laughed, bringing his fist back before beginning to drive hundreds more punches into his opponent's stomach on after another at lightning fast speeds. The continuous drive of attacks shook the ground and slowly forced Gohan into the wall. For a several seconds this continued, with Gohan's screams railing out, strangled and agonized. Moments later, Broly finished his relentless assault with one final straight punch into Gohan's stomach. After which he opened his hand and unleashed a powerful ki ball at point blank range. The explosion of the blast went off with incredible force, sending a huge cloud of dust hurling into the air with rubble and debris flying in every direction. That entire half of the school was demolished, with anyone in that part sure to have been killed. No one could have survived a charged explosion like that.

Well, it seemed that someone did. After recovering from the shock of the explosion, Videl, Sharpener, Eraser, Lime, Erran, Anya and several other students rushed forward, stepping over upturned earth, bricks and massive pieces of rubble before arriving at the site where the explosion took place. Peering round one of the still standing yet destroyed walls, the group of teenagers saw the massive, green haired warrior march forward, walking through a couple of boulders like they were nothing before stopping at the base of the latest crater. Reaching down, he grabbed the Gold Fighter by the collar and pulled him up and out of the pile of rubble. Here, he held the young warrior in place and in plain sight. The good thing was, the young Saiyan was still alive. The bad thing was he was no longer in his Super Saiyan form, which meant everyone could see who the Gold Fighter really was.

Videl, Sharpener, Eraser and the rest of the students who could see were flabbergasted, whereas Lime, Erran and Anya just gazed on restless, concern written on their faces. They had known Gohan was the Gold Fighter all along, but refused to say anything about it. This just left the rest of the world shocked.

"Oh-my-God!" Eraser gasped.

"Gohan!" Videl shouted.

"It can't be…" Sharpener finished.

The students watching in the background were murmuring and gasping in shock, with their eyes firmly plastered on the very beaten up and bruised Gohan. They couldn't believe their eyes. After everything that has happened in the past month, it seemed impossible that one of their friends could possibly be the hero of the century. But it was, and now everyone had to bare witness to what was going to happen next.

Grinning evilly, the Legendary Super Saiyan Broly chuckled inwardly and shook Gohan a bit, seeing if he was still alive. The young half-Saiyan he held in his right hand was hanging their limply, in a semi-conscious state with his eyes closed and mouth agape. His gi was tattered and torn, but still bore its regular appearance under all the damages. The front part was more torn up then everything else, and his sword was still sheathed behind him, which was quite lucky considering what had just gone down. However, it wasn't over yet. As soon as he saw that his opponent was still alive, Broly proceeded to torture him, wrapping his arm around his mid-section and pressing his front against him. Now that he held his opponent in a bear hug, he could proceed and immediately tightened his hold. The immediate pressure applied sent coursing waves of pain shooting through Gohan's body, with a loud crunching sound of bones and muscles being crushed echoing all around. The young Saiyan was woken instantaneously from his state and when he felt his insides and body start to crumble, he let out a blood curling cry of agony, Broly's embrace tightening all the more.

All the students watching gasped, cringing when they heard the sounds of what they knew was bones breaking. It was unbearable, even from where they all stood, they couldn't watch. Gohan was withering helplessly under the Legendary Super Saiyan's grasp, and no one could do anything about it. All anyone else could do was watch. Videl, being the one closest to the scene, and the one who cared mostly for Gohan, was the only one watching with pain seen in her expression.

"G-Gohan…" she whispered. _"No…this can't be happening…not him. Please, Gohan…do something!"_

Broly let out another laugh and pulled his grip tighter, crushing Gohan against him. Another crunch sound rang out, with Gohan's back being bent so much it was disgusting. The young Saiyan let out another cry, but it was strangled a second later, leaving the half-Saiyan warrior hanging there with a shocked and pained look on his face. Blood continued to leak down from his mouth, with every embrace pressure applied by Broly causing vomit loads of blood to spill out. It was a horrible sight, with most of the onlookers turning away, shaking in their boots.

Not too far from the scene, watching from overhead was the whole action group of the Z-gang; Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Krillin, 18# and Yamcha. Having been drawn to the massive power surges they had felt, the entire group closest to this scene were floating about in the sky, looking down onto the battlefield to see what the hell was emitting such a massive ki signature. Incidentally, their sights were alerted to Gohan and a massive, glowing figure whop looked like a Saiyan. Needless to say, they were all shocked, and were more overly disturbed at the scene taking place.

Goku gritted his teeth and floated forward. "Gohan! No!" he shouted, his ki flaring up. Vegeta, however, stopped him by holding his arm up and pushing the spiky haired Saiyan back.

"Stay back, Kakarot!" the prince said firmly. "There's nothing you can do!"

Krillin glanced over at Vegeta as if he were crazy. "But…but we have to help him!"

"He's going to get killed if we don't do something!" Yamcha also said. 18# remained silent and distracted, eyes gazing down at the scene in shock. She was speechless for two good reasons, one from the sight of Gohan getting tortured, and two from the massive energy level she felt radiating off of the attacker.

"We can't stand here and do nothing!" Goku said, floating back. "My son…he…"

"Doesn't need any help!" Piccolo stated. Everyone except Vegeta looked at him. The Saiyan Prince and the Namek had their eyes set down on the ground below, as they were floating at least 30 stories above it.

"What? Not you too!" Krillin shouted. The Namekian warrior narrowed his eyes down on the scene, arms crossed and a serious expression on his face.

"Gohan can handle this by himself. He'll be fine," Piccolo continued. Goku growled and shot his frustration towards the Namekian.

"Are you out of your mind, Piccolo?" Goku yelled. "My son needs my help! He'll be killed if we don't do anything!" Vegeta furrowed his brow even more.

"Don't bother Kakarot. Gohan wouldn't want anyone to interfere, even now!" Vegeta said. "Your son is a Saiyan, and wishes to continue this on his own, because he has something to prove. He's still alive and breathing, so he'll be able to handle this guy, as he has done with countless other villains. Not only that, your efforts won't do anything; this guy is far too powerful. Remember what happened at the Cell Games? You couldn't even budge Cell with your strongest attack, and he was a lot weaker then this guy!"

Goku gritted his teeth, hands fisting. Vegeta furrowed his brow.

"He's the Legendary Super Saiyan, the most powerful Saiyan there ever was," Vegeta stated. "None of us will last five seconds against him. Your son is the only one strong enough who can deal with him…"

"Gohan wants to fight alone. Leave him be," Piccolo stated.

"Plus...he has something else to prove," Vegeta continued, nodding, attention averting between the two warriors. "Your son's future mate is down there as well. A Saiyan will fight to prove his worthiness, as instinct tells us. You should know that by now."

No one said a word, and just stood back to watch what will happen.

Gohan screams and cries of pain continued to rail out, making the scene all the more cold. The young Saiyan was close to passing out now, but every time that feeling came up, Broly would crush him more, waking him with more intense waves of pain. He was slowly, but surely, squeezing the life out of him. Any more of this and Gohan will surely need to see a chiropractor in Otherworld. By now everyone had turned away from the sight, as this torture was far too much to bear, even when it wasn't inflicted on them in particular.

A minute or so later, after hearing Gohan's strangled cries of agony and seeing him suffer at the hands of the massive Saiyan, Videl had had enough. With a shake of her head, she ran forward till she was standing 15 paces away from Broly. Making sure she was in plain sight to his right, the raven haired girl gritted her teeth before yelling at the big brute.

"Hey you!" she shouted, catching the Legendary Super Saiyan's attention. "Let go of him you bastard! Let him go now!" the raven haired girl yelled, taking a fighting stance and hardening her glare on him.

Broly stared at her, his expression angry and serious at the same time. From this point on, he stood where he was as still as a statue, with his arms still wrapped around a trembling, pained Gohan and a rage filled glare fixated on the girl in front of him. The students in the background had no idea what had gotten into the raven haired girl, and were worried all the same, seeing as that she was yelling at the psycho who had just beaten the Gold Fighter. They knew things were about to turn ugly.

After a few more seconds of glaring at the girl, Broly made the one main mistake of unwrapping his right arm from around his victim, and raise his hand towards the raven haired girl in his sights. Without a second thought, he began gathering energy to fire a blast at the offending girl, wishing to eliminate her and carry on with his fun. The green field formed around him and slowly shrunk into his palm, a ball of energy forming in seconds. Videl gasped and backed away, her confidence dying with the moment the second she saw the giant fighter direct his attention towards her. She knew how lethal that blast was, and was not inclined to get in his way.

Broly grinned, eyes flashing. "You dare defy me…"

Videl was scared now. Seeing the ball of energy grow in the giant Saiyan's hand, she gritted her teeth and backed away more. "Gohan…" she whispered, turning to the teenage, spiky haired boy the massive fighter still held. There, she saw the young Saiyan turn his eyes to her, the pained look still in play and eyes half-idled. "Please…get up…"

It was then, at that instant Gohan heard Videl's words and saw her expression of concern was he snapped out of his state. His eyes widened and he looked up, his energy suddenly bounding into him once more full force.

"Videl!" he shouted. Without a second thought, he pushed up and sent a powered-up, left roundhouse kick aimed at Broly's head, slamming it hard into him without holding back and striking him hard. The Legendary Super Saiyan was staggered, the ball of energy in his palm disappearing as he stumbled back, returning to a stance and glaring ahead of him as the young Saiyan he held slipped out of his grasp and back-flipped away. Seconds later, Gohan landed 15 meters away, dropping into a powering up stance and glaring at his opponent, eyes flaring. Videl was ecstatic he was alive, the students were astounded and the Z-fighters watching from above were shocked. Gohan's energy climbed ever higher.

"I won't let you harm her!!!" Gohan screamed, fisting his arms at his sides and reeling his head back. With a deep intake of breath and a final wave of pain, the young Saiyan shot up and let out a bellowing scream. At that exact moment, a golden aura exploded around him and expanded, dust, debris and rubble hurling in every direction as he suddenly began powering up. Broly stepped back in surprise, whilst Videl let out a gasp when she saw Gohan begin to transform again. This one however, was to be far different to any other transformation taken place here.

Fisting his hands tighter as Gohan assumed Super Saiyan 2, the young Saiyan pressed on further as his energy level skyrocketed. With his golden aura crackling with blue lightning shot around him, he gritted his teeth and curled over, a horse riding stance in play. With his irises vanishing from sight, Gohan suddenly became overwhelmed with power, his aura bursting outwards like a raging fire and tornado combined, tearing up the ground and unleashing shockwaves of power. His subconscious instincts produced fields of energy around Videl and his friends to protect them, and with his full focus set upon the rage and anger bubbling within him, he unleashed it all in one burst. A lightning storm crackled around him as flames of pure golden aura waves shot out from underneath him and out, accompanied by blue streams of energy that began coursing upwards. It was like he really was on fire, but this transformation was more intense then any already had. As the earth trembled and crumbled around him, the young Saiyan reared his head back once more and let out a bellowing yell that sounded above the crumbling and crashing sounds around him, thunderous booms of lightning and energy also taking place. As a crater burst out around him and sent another, greater shockwave out that nearly knocked Broly stumbling, the young Saiyan transformed, his muscles shaping and bulging, defining his image, his hair lengthening and suddenly growing down to his knees, eyebrows burning away and irises returning. Then, as the field of energy around him shrunk to size, it suddenly dissipated with a gale of wind escaping his range, clearing the way and revealing the young Saiyan in a dramatic display of light.

As soon as his wild aura dissipated, Gohan was seen standing in the crater of his own design, fisted hands and arms stretched out and a wide stance taken, his back reared a bit. The young Saiyan was bathed in a pure golden, radioactive glow that illuminated off of him, and he was also surrounded by currents of blue electricity and lightning, adding to the sight of him. No longer baring shorter hair, he now had long, spiky golden hair that grew down to his knees with a single bang of hair that hung in front of his forehead. He also had turquoise irises filled with darker, teal pupils, ones that shone in the light he produced. But what added to this was his energy level. It was incredible, reaching a height no one ever thought possible! Everyone watching on was shocked.

"WHOA!!!" Eraser, Sharpener, Lime, Anya and Erran called.

"What the!" Goku shouted.

"Unbelievable!" Vegeta also shouted, completely opposite to his previous mood.

"T-T-That's n-new," Krillin stuttered.

However, in spite of everyone's shock, Gohan wasn't in either category. As Broly backed away a bit from the sight before him, the young Saiyan in front of him glared harshly, brow furrowing and his symbolic, serious expression coming into play. All his wounds, bruises and burns were overcome by the light and new wind of his transformation, and he seemed that he didn't have that much damage inflicted upon him.

"You should feel proud of yourself. No one has ever pushed me this far in battle before," Gohan said in a deeper, more serious voice that matched his powerful form. A bolt of lightning shot out from him and cracked like a whip through the air around him.

Broly trembled for a moment, but after seeing his opponent's full form and power, the Legendary Super Saiyan growled and took his stance again. Raising his fists and still shaking a bit on the spot, the enraged Saiyan glared at his long haired opponent standing many meters away from him.

"Where…did you get all that strength from?" the Legendary Super Saiyan growled. Gohan's brow furrowed.

"That's information I refuse to pass on to the likes of you, Broly," Gohan hissed, another crack of lightning shooting out from his golden glow. It was then, after gritting his teeth in anger, the young Saiyan's full aura shot up and around him. Flaring intensely, it suddenly turned pure gold with currents of lightning now fiercely shooting out around him. As the ground tore up beneath him, he crouched and leaned forward, pushing off with a loud sonic boom as he immediately broke the sound barrier. "It's over for you!!!" He shot through the air faster then lightning, flashing into super speed with the ground collapsing in his path. Broly gasped, unable to keep up as Gohan drove straight into him.

As soon as Gohan reached him, the young, Super Saiyan 3 began driving various punches into the Legendary Super Saiyan's stomach. Though Broly maintained a strong stance, he was pushed back by the constant attacks being thrown into him, teeth gritting and deep fist marks appearing all over his torso and chest as Gohan pressed on. With his aura flaring wildly, Gohan drove back his solid opponent with his lightning fast, attacks yelling with every punch he threw as Broly skidded back along the ground, the earth crumbling and cracking from the forces inflicted upon it. It was then, after pushing his opponent back across the land, and badly damaging him this time, Gohan decided to finish off his assault drive. Gritting his teeth, Gohan brought his right fist back, which crackled with blue lightning and glowed strong gold. Then, after gathering the required amount of energy, the young Saiyan threw his powered up punch forward, cracking it straight into the Legendary Super Saiyan's face. A massive shock wave rang out with Broly definitely feeling the force inflicted upon him from the punch as he was thrown back through the air. The fist mark in his face crackled with blue electricity, the energy put into it way too great for him to endure against.

Gohan growled, watching as Broly skidded back, feet entrenching into the earth and forming lines in the ground. When the Saiyan stopped 25 meters away, he resumed his stance and glared back over at Gohan, a fresh bruise in his cheek, but he was still standing. The muscle-bound Saiyan growled, hands fisting.

His opponent dropped to the ground after inflicting that punch, aura still glowing fiercely around him. As soon as Gohan returned to earth, he reeled his head back, raised his arms and let out a pain filled cry. With a shockwave like explosion, his aura burst out around him stronger then before and shot straight up into the darkened skies above, lightning shooting around it and its glow as fierce as the sun's. In a awesome display of power that once again shook the planet and shocked the onlookers, Gohan's power output became so great it cleared the clouds above him and produced a wild-fire around him, literally. All at once, an area of 50 meters around him caught alight and began burning with orange and yellow flames. It burnt the ground, staining the battlefield with the very power that radiated off of the young Saiyan. Not even Broly could compare to the power his opponent was putting off. It was then, the raging flames was all that consumed the two fighters with very little ground to be seen. They were practically smoke-screened by the fire, the Z-fighters above could barely see them and the students couldn't even see through the raging fires.

Broly remained standing, teeth gritted and glaring across the field of fire towards his opponent who stood in the very heart of the blaze. Dropped in a powering up stance, Gohan was glaring back at his opponent, eyes blank with no irises to be seen anymore. Veins also appeared on his arms and temples, showing the blood pulsing through him and the amount of effort he was putting into maintaining this stream of high-level energy. The flames burned around him like the lightning that shot out of his golden glow, his aura dropped but with the producer still standing strong. Broly growled, resisting the burning hot flames enveloping him.

Videl, standing at the very edge of the fires, gazed into its very mists, eyes wide and a shocked look on her face. As she searched the raging flames and grounds in front of her, the raven haired girl suddenly spotted Gohan standing amongst it, consumed by it and in plain view of her. It was when she saw him the girl let out a quiet gasp, eyes widening more with shock and fear. The reason why is when she gazed at his face, she saw the fury edged in it, and the rage that burned within his empty eyes. Though the sight was beyond her comprehension and it frightened her at how vicious the young, peaceful teenager could actually be. She couldn't describe what she was feeling.

"Gohan," she whispered again. It was a mixture of concern and fear…

"W-What's happening down there?" Krillin asked.

"I've never seen this type of display before!" Yamcha also said.

"It's just a reaction," Piccolo said, catching everyone's attention. The Namekian glared down at the ground seriously. "It's Gohan's first time transforming to an incredibly high-powered state. His inner energy is soaring out of full control, but he's still grasping onto it barely. Though it's difficult to explain, I can tell you what the fire is all about," the green skinned warrior stated, gesturing down at the blazing ground. "That fire is his spirit energy acting up. It's sort of like a field produced when he's enraged. It shows his emotion and mood of the moment, and you can easily tell how angry he is. When in this state, his original power level in his new state doubles, making him stronger then before. Though it's hard to bare, you can see he now has enough power to bring down his opponent."

The Z-fighters listening didn't say a word, and just continued to watch intently.

Gohan growled through gritted teeth, suddenly dropping out of his intense state and beginning to march over to his opponent. His stride was unsteady, as the ground collapsed beneath him with every step, due to his power output and the flames burning all around. As he marched forward, his hair and clothes seemed to rise a bit, muscles clenching up more and his ki level soaring. Seeing his opponent begin to approach, Broly, frozen with the amount, pulled his right hand back and began walking over as well. With a yell, he gathered a whole mass of energy and threw an energy attack forward. The green ball of energy ripped through the air straight at its target, flames parting in its course. When it was just in range of its target, it suddenly curved around Gohan, before it crashed behind him and exploded. The explosion was minimal, as the field of fire around them reduced the dangerous effects of all enemy energy attacks. Broly didn't stop though, as he staggered forward, he continued throwing energy balls at his opponent with his lefty and right, his movements incredibly slow due to the unstable surroundings. Each attack he threw at his target always missed, either going straight past or crashing to the ground around the young Saiyan. All the whole, Gohan staggered forward, eyes black, expression enraged and movements slowed by the amount of energy he was giving off.

A few more steps and Gohan was within 10 meters of his opponent. When he was, he staggered to his left, taking a shoulder width stance and cupping both his hands behind him, knees bent. With a loud growl, the young Saiyan gathered energy into his palms, a golden, sparkling ball of energy forming in between his hands and glowing brightly. Surrounded by currents of electricity, Gohan continued staggering forward as green energy balls continued flying past him, missing him with inefficiency. Broly was becoming all the more frustrated and increased his strength. His aura didn't appear, thanks to the fiery atmosphere.

This was it. Bringing his right palm back, Broly powered up one final ball of energy, this one flaring brighter then every attack he had unleashed so far. Gohan was ready as well, his attack glowing fiercer then his opponent's with a greater amount of energy in it. Broly let out a rage filled yell, while Gohan growled through gritted teeth. The two fighters were five meters apart now, with the gap slowly closing. The fire around them intensified, the energy in both fighters rising and rising, reacting with their surroundings. Then, with a yell of rage, Broly threw his attack forward, unleashing it and hitting his target at such close a range the force was definitely felt. Though the effect had died a bit, the shockwave of the smoke, green explosion was incredible, staggering Gohan a bit but doing nothing to stop him. As if it were nothing, Gohan moved forward more, shocking his opponent. Right after Broly's attack had failed, the young Super Saiyan 3 let out a bellowing yell and threw both hands forward, cupping them as he unleashed his megaton blast upon the Legendary Super Saiyan. The blast released and struck at point blank range before expanding and enveloping Broly in a burning fate. The large Saiyan let out one last cry of agony and fear before he was blasted away in one, massive burst of energy and light. The blast given off was intense and powerful, but only lasted for a few seconds before dissipating, leaving no trace of Broly standing.

Gohan growled, staggering back upon destroying his opponent. As the fires continued to burn around him, his irises returned and he glared to his right where the flames raged the most. It was there, within the flames he saw a dark figure standing. The world paused for a minute or so as the young Saiyan gazed into the fire, ignoring the cinders floating by and the blasts of larger flames reacting to the ground. He focused all his attention on the figure, watching it come out from the fire and stand before him 15 meters away. It was in plain view, and Gohan got a big start when he saw who it was.

With long, white hair seen hanging behind him and wearing the familiar, dark clothes he was known for and angel wings stretched behind him, Gohan set his sights onto a clearly visible Scythe. The figure standing in the flames smiled up at Gohan, his blue eyes flickering in the firelight. The young Saiyan warrior stood still, glaring across at the new nemesis.

Scythe smirked. _"The darkness will always be there, Gohan,"_ he whispered. _"You can't destroy it…"_

Gohan turned towards him a bit, the fire masking out the world around him. "I can try," he replied. Scythe chuckled.

"_You can try…but you will…fail,"_ the warrior stated. _"For every dark being you destroy, I gain strength…"_ Scythe said with a grin. _"…and when I return…I will defeat you…"_

The young Saiyan furrowed his brow. "So the nightmare is just beginning, huh?" Scythe lowered his head a bit.

"_Oh…so it would seem…" _the white haired spirit stated. With that, Scythe turned on his heel and turned his back on his enemy. With his Ultimate Dark Blade sheathed at his side, he marched into the flames, disappearing in a flicker.

Gohan furrowed his brow, the fires dying out around him.

"So it would seem…" he whispered.

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_

****

* * *

_**Power levels:**_

**(Battle with Broly)**

**Broly:**

Base: 180,000,000

True Super Saiyan: 400,000,000

Legendary Super Saiyan: 3,750,000,000

**Gohan:**

Base: 200,000,000

Super Saiyan: 400,000,000

Super Saiyan 2: 625,000,000

Super Saiyan 3: 1,800,000,000

Super Saiyan 3 (Enraged): 4,500,000,000


	55. Passion Truth

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Passion Truth_

With the fight over, everyone could finally relax. Perhaps not one of the most well known ways to end a fierce battle, as long as the threat was gone it made the moment all worth while. Now that Broly was gone for good, the skies returned to their normal states of clear blue and the atmosphere stabilized, leaving way to a once again, healthy planet. Another good deed down and another day saved…things were really looking up. Anyway, now that the moment was over, the raging fires around Gohan died down, leaving scorched earth, a partially destroyed city, and a half destroyed school, and shocked faces. Letting out a sigh, Gohan relinquished his hold on his Super Saiyan 3 powers and dropped back down to Super Saiyan, even though he was well aware that everyone had seen who he really was. When he was back down to a more controlled level, the young Saiyan sighed and glanced down at his feet, relieved. Super Saiyan 3 really took it out on him, but more overly, he was really glad Broly was gone.

Strangely enough though, he couldn't help but feel…more down. Closing his eyes, he thought about what had happened and what everyone behind him had seen. They knew who the Gold Fighter really was, it was him, and they saw the inhumane things he could do! It was a shot below the belt for him! He didn't know what to think now.

As he was left in silence, the Z-fighters above him were celebrating, and for several good reasons too. Krillin and Yamcha didn't have to fight, 18# was more so relieved then ever, and Piccolo, Vegeta and Goku were impressed by the level of Super Saiyan Gohan had achieved. The three of the strongest there smiled down at the young Saiyan far below, Vegeta and Piccolo with their arms crossed and Goku's hands on his hips.

"See," Piccolo said. "He's fine…"

"I told you he could do it," Vegeta stated. Goku sighed and shrugged, the shocking images a few moments ago still crossing his mind.

"Yeah, I guess my son really doesn't need much help after all," the spiky haired Saiyan replied. Vegeta grunted, whilst Piccolo remained silent. 18# floated forward a bit, smiling as well as having her own arms crossed over her chest. When she appeared beside Goku, she lowered her head with her eyes darkening slightly in mischief.

"Now all that's left is for him to get together with that girl he likes," the blonde haired android stated. Goku glanced over at her, looking surprised.

"Huh? You know about it too?" he asked. The former android nodded affirmatively.

"Your wife told me about your son's predicament," 18# replied. "Strange, I always knew he'd get a girlfriend, I just never expected it to be in this situation. I thought it would be like…during a battle or something," the blonde continued, trying to sound surprised. Goku grinned, rubbing the back of his head.

"Well, after this, it might turn out that way," the spiky haired Saiyan replied. 18# nodded in understanding, the two of them turning back to the ground below. Gohan was still standing where he was, as still as ever, with the students hanging around in the back, and Krillin and Yamcha still hopping around like kids, shouting their praises and cheers. Gee, they were _really_ glad it was over.

Staring over at Gohan, Lime sighed and placed her hands on her hips, with Erran and Anya also smiling happily. Tilting her head towards the Saiyan standing some distance from her, the brown haired girl nodded. "That's Gohan for you. Hasn't changed one bit," she said. Eraser, hearing this, turned to Lime with a look of shock written all over her face. Sharpener also glanced around, but was more surprised when he suddenly heard Eraser's voice erupt.

"What! You knew he was the Gold Fighter all along!" the blonde haired girl shouted. Lime wasn't at all drawn back by her friend's suddenly high volume of voice and shrugged, closing her eyes.

"Well…I have been talking about him for quite some time. Surely you would have caught onto it. The one who really defeated Cell, the strongest in the world and possibly the whole universe…all my friends know the story," Lime said, glancing over at Erran and Anya. "Isn't that right guys?" The two girls nodded, but were interrupted when Eraser came onto Lime again, a look of disappointment on her face.

"That's not what I want to talk about. I just want to know why you guys didn't tell us he was the Gold Fighter!" Eraser said loudly. Erran shrugged at her.

"You never asked…"

"But even so, we couldn't have told you," Anya spoke up.

Lime shrugged, not putting full honesty into her words. "You see, Gohan was the boy at the Cell Games who fought and defeated Cell. And even though he saved the world he never wanted the official credit, he just wanted to protect the ones he loved and the planet he lives on. His family and friends wouldn't be able to stand the life of celebrities, they love the quiet life. You have to understand, he didn't want anyone to know either."

"Plus we're family friends," Erran said. "We can't divulge information like that without his permission. We made a promise to him…"

"Please understand," Anya added, looking a little worried about the fact that Eraser might drop them off as friends. Eraser stared at them for a moment, blinking, while Sharpener hung up back. He crossed his arms and sighed, bored out of mind. Now that the action was over, he felt he was even more useless then ever. But then again, he could just stand by and listen.

After a few moments of thinking, Eraser smiled and nodded in understanding. "That's okay guys…I understand…"

Standing some ways from them, Videl, the girl who was closest to Gohan in terms of friendship and near love relationship, ignored the chatter of her friends. Though she had heard the four girls talking about the situation at hand, the blue-eyed crime fighter was not interested in their subject upbringing at all, but was actually focused on the solid-subject matter standing before her. And yet, after everything that has happened, and everything she had seen, she could hardly believe it.

"_Gohan's the Gold Fighter,"_ the girl thought silently as she took a step forward towards him, her feet crunching on burnt ground. _"I…it…can't be. Someone like him…sure he's strong…but… I didn't know how strong! It's amazing…"_ She walked on, approaching him. Everyone seemed totally distracted at the moment, and didn't seem to notice the raven haired girl walking towards the golden haired fighter. To add to this, no one even realized, or more like knew how Videl really felt inside as she progressed forward. The girl placed her right hand on her chest, steadying her breathing. _"He's…amazing…"_

Gohan, sensing a set of eyes plastered on his back, glanced over his shoulder behind him. There, he saw the very girl that made him pause at the moment and his heart skip a beat. The raven haired girl, Videl… stopped and stood where she was, gazing up at Gohan in surprise. Concern also edged in her features, the two of them stared at each other, Videl remaining still while Gohan stood calmly, though with a similar, surprised look on his face. Everything seemed to fall silent, with absolutely nothing standing between them.

Well…there was one thing…

The young, half-Saiyan's expression saddened and he turned away, closing his eyes. _"She saw…and now she's going to hate me…"_ he clenched his fists. _"And worse…she saw me when I'm enraged. I can't believe I went out of control like that…first one way it turns bad and a second it gets worse!"_ He gritted his teeth, cursing at how unfair it was. If only he knew how she truly felt. Videl took a step closer, looking all the more concerned.

"Gohan?" she whispered.

The young Saiyan didn't look at her. "I'm…sorry, Videl…" In a blast of wind and without another word, the young Saiyan took off. Aura flaring wildly and hurling dust into the air, the Gold Fighter shot up into the sky before flying off onto the horizon. In a blink of an eye, he was gone, and it was at that moment people finally realized what had happened. The Z-fighters, now ceasing their celebrations, were all looking in the direction Gohan had gone off in, all of them looking surprised. Videl was most surprised, whilst the school students scattered around the whole area was staring up bewildered. That action was most unexpected…

Lime, Erran and Anya were deeply moved by Gohan's sudden departure, and walked forward. Erran placed a hand on her chest and trailed her eyes over the line in the distance. "W-Where's he going?"

"Why did he leave?" Lime asked. Erran, who was standing by them placed her hands on her hips and glared over at them.

"Well you should know! You _are_ his closest friend aren't you?"

Sharpener crossed his arms and shrugged. "Perhaps he's hurt. You know, he really did take a beating from that big guy," he said suggestively. Eraser turned to him, taking that expression of slight surprise again. After taking this suggestion into consideration, the blonde haired girl couldn't help but come to a sort of standing agreement.

"Maybe…"

Goku, concerned for the well-being of his son, attempted to follow after him, but was stopped by Vegeta holding his arm out. The spiky haired warrior glanced down at the prince with a look of surprise, but was lowered when he saw the serious expression thrown at him.

"Let him go, Kakarot," the Saiyan Prince stated. "He needs it…"

Goku reluctantly slipped back into the shadows along with the others. Piccolo, who understood Gohan's troublesome demeanor more then anyone else in the group, also hung back with his arms folded over his chest. From where they floated out of sight, the Z-fighters watched as the young, half-Saiyan hero left the scene. Things were left to be spoken for and discussed, especially by those who knew him as the Saiyan he was, and those who recognized him as a hero as well. The High School students watching in silence were still shaken badly from the destruction laid bare…

Videl rushed forward, but stopped short of where Gohan once stood before taking flight and disappearing. She kept her eyes on the horizon, wondering where he had gone or what had triggered him to leave so rapidly. His last words before he left echoed in her mind, only she had no idea what to think of it. The raven haired girl looked after him with a hurt look on her face, the sadness shown in her eyes.

"Gohan…" she whispered again. "Where…are you…going?" She got no response from the skies. Instead, the sun's rays just broke through the clouds, illuminating the whole area and leaving her standing question filled. Blinking, Videl took a step forward, only to stop when her foot crunched on something hard and skidded slightly. Distracted, she looked down at the burnt ground to see what had altered her footing. When her eyes landed on her left foot, she saw to her surprise that she had stepped on a silver-chained necklace, the pendant hidden under her foot. Surprised and curious, Videl stepped off of it and knelt down, reaching down with her right hand to pick it up. Scooping it up from the scorched earth, she brought it up to inspect the piece of jewelry lying in her palm. With the chain coiled around her wrist, the raven haired girl gasped in surprise when she recognized the heart-shaped, blue crystal sapphire. It was the pendant necklace that Gohan always wore and never took off. Though as stunning as it was when he wore it, it wasn't as great in her grasp. It didn't have its shine anymore, the refracting light doing nothing to give back its spark.

Astounded with the piece, Videl knew that Gohan must have dropped it and curled her fingers around it. Clenching it, she looked back up into the skies on the horizon, distressed. _"He'll be so worried if he realizes he's lost it. I'll give it back to him when he comes tomorrow…"_ Standing up, she lowered her arms to her sides and sighed. She still felt a bit down since her hero had left. "_If_ he comes by tomorrow…"

The destruction around her was left forgotten…

* * *

_**Meanwhile…**_

As all the commotion back at the school continued, we are taken back to Gohan and his flight path. The young hero, still assumed in his Super Saiyan form, was streaking across the skies above the vast landscapes of earth, aura flaring up and leaving a trail of golden energy behind. If anyone had tried following him, they would get lost in seconds, since he was moving at speeds far greater then what any of the other heroes could muster up. He was running…running away from the very realizations shed on the people back at High School, and what everyone had seen. Especially Videl…

The emotions and feelings on the situation ate away at him. He was beating himself up on the inside, cursing when he thought of how she had found out about his secret. Now that Videl knew who he was and had seen his true power, his heart was split in two. Not literally though, but in sense of spirit and feeling. Gohan flew at full-speed, seen as nothing but a golden bolt careering across the skies, tearing it up and breaking barriers little by little. With his eyes drawn ahead of him, his mind took him back to those moments of the fight where Videl had witnessed the horrors of what he was capable of.

Tears brew up in his eyes, threatening to leave him.

"_I can't bare the thoughts of her entering my world," _Gohan thought. _"I don't want to put her in harms way. She's…she's too precious to me…"_ he clenched his fists, gritting his teeth. _"And I exposed my true identity and power to everyone! No one was supposed to see it or me, I never intended for things to happen the way they did! Now they'll think of me as some kind of freak, and Videl will hate me!"_ He shook his head, shutting his eyes as tears ran down his cheeks. The winds that whipped around him were ignored.

"_She'll hate me…"_

He disappeared onto the horizon again, where he will arrive at Mount Paoz some short time later…

* * *

_The days rolled on once again, with people returning to their usual routines despite the rude interruption from the Gold Fighter-verses-Gold Fighter quarrel. Everyone remembered it though, the scars made by the otherworldly battle still being repaired now. The damaged buildings, especially the school, they all needed to be fixed. It took only a week for Orange Star High School to be fully repaired, and students were back in their seats as soon as the doors were opened once more. However, when that call went out, everyone accept one student returned._

_Gohan never came back to school, nor did he even make contact with anyone again. The first day in, the teacher announced that the spiky haired Saiyan would not be joining them anymore, on account of reasons unknown. All his friends were upset at this news, but the one mostly affected was Videl. She couldn't help but shed a few tears at the news of his absence and that she would no longer be able to see him again. It soon became clear that she would have to find some hope in this dark time…_

_She spent hours waiting for him to step through that door, but he never came by, not even to say hello. Was he afraid? Was he afraid of being belittled or seen differently by the others then when he first got here? Did he feel that? That's a mystery Videl was trying to solve. Why he wasn't showing up was a real heart breaker. Even as crime waves swept the city and she was putting a stop to it, he still didn't show up to help. This made her worry, especially the fact that the young Saiyan never came by to collect his pendant._

_At nights she cried herself to sleep, her heart hurting at not being able to see him. Being separate from Gohan was more painful then any physical wounds she ever had placed on her. This was further evidence of how much she loved him, but couldn't tell him because she missed her chance. She then figured that she would have to find a way to contact him. Finding out where his home was shouldn't be too difficult, as Videl already had his address. Getting there was another story._

_She had to return his pendant somehow and at least let him know how she felt…_

_Unknown to her, it was a bit more complicated then just that…_

* * *

_**Weeks later…**_

Up at the Son Residence 900 miles out from Satan City, the two houses were practically quiet. Everything seemed to be dragging on as usual, as if nothing had happened, and that everyone was doing their own thing. Goku was outside with Vegeta, sparring. Given evidence to this were the slight tremors in the ground every now and then, the force displayed by the pair felt for miles. Chi-Chi didn't mind at all, and was washing the dishes from lunch with the aid of Bulma's help. Since the Brief's family was over for a visit, it made feeding so many Saiyans and half-Saiyans a lot harder. However, clean up was easier, thanks to the two mothers' combined cleaning hands. Meanwhile, Goten and Trunks were playing in the lounge room with several of their favorite toys. With these cool figurines at their disposal, it was easy to fill in their free time with fun.

Their definition of fun was not without its surprises. Past figurines have been disposed, and were now replaced with the latest in action-figure and collective items. The Gold Fighter and Videl Satan crazes have spammed world-wide, and have captured the attention of various toy-making companies. Eventually figurines and action figures have been made especially for kids and hero fans, and so sales boomed. The most popular action figures were the Gold-Fighter with a set collection of his swords, Videl Satan and their one true villain, Scythe. They have managed to capture the appearances of all these characters perfectly, and were a real hit with the community. Goten and Trunks had these exact figures, as well as other figures such as bandits, bank-robbers and enemy mercenaries. It was fun to have the heroes kick butt, and also presented other fun ideas.

Recently the two Saiyan boys had noticed the attraction between Gohan and this 'Videl Satan', and have enjoyed every venture of making fun of the pair. Even though they had never met Videl, they have heard of her from Gohan. Whenever Trunks had a sleep over, they would usually sneak into Gohan's house to tape-record his sleep talking, which was both cruel and amusing at the same time. However, they were caught and punished by Chi-Chi, Bulma, Goku and Vegeta, the group deciding to keep it secret from Gohan so not to cause him embarrassment. However, other adventures was an endearment for the two chibis, the two of them deciding to mock the older brother's secret love affair through acting out role plays with the action figures instead.

Picking up the Gold Fighter and Videl doll, Goten giggled and put their two faces together, grinning wildly. _**"Oh…I love you so much, Gohan!"**_ the chibi acted out in high, girlish voice to mimic Videl's, with Trunks nearly bowling over with laughter. _**"I love you too, Videl! You're so beautiful! **_Kissy-kissy nii-chan!"

"Oh-ho, that's priceless," the son of Vegeta exclaimed, Trunks getting back to a proper sitting position and grinning wildly. He was still holding onto the action figure of Scythe. "We should show that to your brother! That will really blow his top off!"

"GOTEN! TRUNKS!" Chi-Chi screamed from the kitchen, scaring the living day-lights out of the two half-Saiyans. "You'd better not be soiling Gohan's reputation again!"

"N-No mom…honest!" Goten cried back, freaking out.

"We're just playing!" Trunks also replied hastily.

"I don't believe you!" Chi-Chi yelled back. "He's really upset, and playing those types of games will only make him feel worse!"

"But he isn't even here, mom!" Goten whined. Chi-Chi, though not in sight at the moment, was scowling through the walls towards the two children playing in the lounge room. She had guessed it right, giving the feeling that something bad was going to happen to the two chibis. However, she let her swift hand rest today and instead punished them with words instead of the cane.

"You know better then that, Goten!" the Son mother continued. "Now enough with the Tom foolery. Play nice now…" The spiky haired, miniature Goku sighed and nodded. Now he felt downright bad, so did Trunks (remarkably enough). With the mood set and the desired effect finally in place, the two of them remained silent from here on in.

"Yes mom…" Goten groaned.

"Yes Mrs. Son…" Trunks groaned with equal disappointment.

Well that was one adventure interrupted and concluded. But never fear, for it shall arise again sooner or later. However, it was the least of concern for Chi-Chi and the others, since they were more worried about Gohan himself. The half-Saiyan warrior hasn't been the same since he got home from that fight with Broly several days ago. They knew he had suffered a lot at his hands but by this time he would have gotten over it! It was at this new development the whole group and family realized that the fight wasn't what was bothering the young Saiyan; it was the aftermath of it.

Trying to talk it out of Gohan was not helping either, he also ran off to his secret places where he usually hung out to do his thinking, stay locked up in his house or beat himself to near death in spars out on the valleys in play view. He caused more destruction then both Goku and Vegeta combined, and we're not talking about Gogeta level destruction here. The kid poured out everything into these training sessions, shocking everyone. The bloodied up states he returned in were no surprise either, yet he never accept any help. It was like the old, eleven-year-old Gohan had returned, only darker then before…

At this moment, Gohan had distanced himself from his family and friends, locking himself up in his Greenhouse where his sacred, meditation shrine was held. Here he sat Indian style, eyes closed and silent, keeping to his thoughts as always. He didn't even bother to admire the sights and sounds his miniature forest had to offer him. The gang didn't bother him at all, allowing him to get some much needed time alone…

Elsewhere, a familiar yet distant figure was making her way towards Mount Paoz in her very distinguishable jet-copter. As it turns out, Miss Videl Satan, Mr. Satan's daughter, was on her way over to pay a particular young Saiyan a visit.

The raven haired girl had been restless all night, and didn't get any sleep at all. Even when she had taken a nice warm shower to calm herself, she still felt like it didn't help. When the sun peaked into morning, the very awake Videl Satan packed it up, decapsulated her jet-copter, and started off towards Gohan's mountain home. From the looks of it, as the girl was ripping through the air in her yellow-painted, flying vehicle, she was in a real big hurry. The streak of fiery orange that trailed behind it was evidence to her fast paced advance on the mountain area.

It had taken her at least half-an-hour to cross all the borders in between Satan City and Mount Paoz, and it didn't take very long till she had arrived at the Son residence's door steps. Seeing the two houses of the 439 Area below her in the clear, the raven haired girl braced herself and pulled her jet into a easy landing. The straight-winged vessel pulled up close to the ground, picking up a whole mass of dust and sending it into the air before it eventually touched down on its skates. Seconds later, the engines switched off, allowing the dust and debris to come to a rest.

As soon as the engine's murmuring died out, the blue-eyed girl unbuckled herself and hopped out of the jet. She dusted herself off, making sure her clothes were in perfect shape before looking up at the two houses in front of her. Videl never really expected there to be two houses, but she figured one of them must be house number 439. Even though the choice sat between her, she was all the worry. Gulping, the girl took the first few steps forward, her mind opening up to thought.

"_Alright Videl…nothing to worry about,"_ she began. _"Just…watch your words and…and tell him how you feel. It's simple…just like Eraser always says…"_ It was at this thought she completely lot confidence, her mind engaging in a duel with itself. _"Oh…nerts to Eraser…you're __**the**__ Videl Satan…you can handle something as easy as this. No problem…"_

The first house she decided to check was the building with the mail box at the front that read 439. Figuring it was as simple as that, she walked up the path before arriving at the door. With an extra burst of confidence, she reached up and knocked five times, loud enough for everyone in the building to hear. Lowering her arms, Videl waited patiently. Almost instantly after knocking she heard the sounds of running footsteps growing closer and closer on the other side before the crack of the unlocking lock sounded, drawing her attention straight up. She literally stiffened on the spot as the door swung open.

When it opened, the teenage crime fighter was staring at nothing but air and an empty hallway in front of her. She blinked in confusion, looking from left to right before hearing a voice springing up from ahead.

"Hello!" a child's voice sounded, surprising the girl. She looked down, and there she immediately saw who had opened the door. A spiky haired boy dressed in an orange and blue gi, eyes and expression lit up with the proud distinction of youth. In his right hand he had, clutched in a light grip a Videl Satan action-figure, which came as just a minor coincidence. Videl was caught stock straight when she saw the boy, and began questioning herself whether she had arrived at the right place.

"Umm…hello," the raven haired girl replied slowly. The boy blinked as he stared, glancing down at the toy he held before looking back up. He did this several times, keeping quiet as usual before chancing a final, solid stare up at the girl. The two locked themselves in that staring contest, and remained that way for about a few seconds before another voice called out from the kitchen.

"Who is it, Goten?" the sharp, woman's voice echoed, obviously Chi-Chi's. Goten blinked, his brain registering quickly to process the question thrown at him. While he was still staring up at the girl, he looked back slightly and replied.

"It's a girl mom!" the boy called. Videl raised an eyebrow.

"_Well…duh…who?"_

Another blink of his eyes, Goten quickly came up with the identity of the girl, a answer that seemed to get to the women in the kitchen.

"…it's Videl, Gohan's girlfriend!"

Videl blushed at this. _"I…think he's got it…"_

Seconds after the boy called out down the hall, a woman dressed in traditional style, women's house wear robes appeared at the door, with a purple apron strung up around her and a dishwashing cloth flung over her shoulder. She had black hair tied up into a bun and eyes that looked distinctly familiar in Videl's eyes, but didn't hit her on sight. When the woman appeared, she patted the boy on the shoulder with a smile, drawing him out of his staring at the visitor and getting his attention.

"Let me take it from here, Goten," the Son mother said in a low voice, the boy slowly backing away and tearing his eyes away from the girl. Nodding his head, Goten backed up several more steps before turning on his heel and sprinting down the hall back to the lounge room. Along the way, Videl heard him shout…

"Hey Trunks…you'll never guess who's at the door…!"

She didn't hear the rest, as her attention was squarely fixed back on the woman now standing at the entrance to the house. Placing her hands in front of her, right hand on top of the other, Chi-Chi smiled at the girl and nodded to her.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Videl," the woman said light heartedly. "I'm Chi-Chi Son, Gohan's mom…"

Relieved to know she was in the right place, the raven haired girl smiled brightly and returned this greeting gesture with one of her own, bowing low. Chi-Chi bowed as well, the two of them eventually looking back up into each other's eyes. Videl nodded to the Son mother once she was up right once again.

"It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Son…" the woman chuckled and waved her hand up at her.

"Please…call me Chi-Chi. The Mrs. Son makes me feel old," the woman exclaimed, eyes fixing themselves on the teenager's face again. "Gohan has told us a lot about you. We figured you'd be visiting us some time…" Videl smiled brightly, brighter then before.

"Yes…Chi-Chi. Umm…i-is…is Gohan in?" the girl asked hesitantly. "I'd like to speak with him…" Chi-Chi raised an eyebrow, the raven haired girl blushing lightly as she continued, sporting a very bashful visage. "He…hasn't shown up in school for a while…it's making me worried…"

The Son mother placed her hands on her hips and smiled at her. "Well…isn't that something," she said in a shallow voice, her facial expression looking very bright at the moment. "I figured it was like that…" Videl now looked puzzled.

"You figured?" Chi-Chi crossed her arms and leaned up against the archway of the entrance.

"Gohan hasn't spoken much since he got home a couple of weeks ago. Now he's always running off and keeping to himself, it's rare to even get a peep out of him," the mother stated, gesturing over to the big house beside there's. Videl glanced over to it, wondering what she could mean by her directional gesture. "He's in his green house meditating. We know he's really upset, but reasons why we have no idea." Videl glanced back at Chi-Chi, looking surprised.

"That's his house?" she gawked. Chi-Chi nodded.

"Yeah! He bought it with his _Martial Arts Tournament_ winnings…"

Videl blinked. Okay, now she was really confused. "Tournament winnings…" The Son mother sighed and rubbed her forehead before thumbing back over to the larger, mansion like estate.

"Maybe it's best you go talk to him. He could use it…"

Tempted to ask more questions, the raven haired girl considered the woman's words first and nodded. With a final wave of thanks she turned round and headed over to the big, dome like structure. Chi-Chi watched her stride out of sight, still leaning up against the door while smiling slightly. As Videl walked in through the gate, the Gohan's mother took in a deep breath of air and then let it out, her chest heaving.

"I've got to hand it to Gohan…he really picked a nice, future wife…" With a wave of her hand she closed the door and headed back to the kitchen, leaving the outside of the original Son home barren of life again.

When Chi-Chi disappeared, Videl reached the door to Gohan's supposed home. Looking over the entire building once as she stood before the entrance, the raven haired girl took in a deep breath of air, braced herself, and knocked on the door. Like before, the girl was forced to wait for a minute or so before she heard the inevitable sound of footsteps approaching from the other side. Seconds later, she heard the click of the lock and saw the door swing open before her. Gohan was blocking the entrance now, gazing down to see who was knocking. He received quite a surprise when he saw it was Videl. In turn the girl also sported a rather surprised look.

"V-Videl?" The raven haired girl gulped, smiling slightly as she stared up at the young Saiyan in front of her. She saw that he was wearing a pair of black gi trousers, martial arts shoes and a familiar, white, traditional style martial arts top. Clearly, though she didn't recognize it, others would as the old outfit the young Saiyan had worn for so many years before changing it. It was strange, seeing him in it again.

After admiring Gohan's indoor look, as well as his handsome face for a second, the girl blushed a little before looking down slightly. "H-Hi…Gohan…"

The half-Saiyan warrior stared, but eventually came to his senses. With a shake of his head, he bit his bottom lip before smiling back up at her. He stepped to the side and made a very courteous hand gesture. "Please…why don't you come in?" he said in a kind voice. Videl, always wowed by his politeness, nodded and stepped in slowly.

"Thanks…" she said softly. Gohan, though still smiling brightly, still looked a bit worried, with a tinted saddened expression on his face. It was edged out defiantly, something not too hard to miss. Videl saw it too.

As soon as Videl entered Gohan's house, she saw the very mansion like complex inside that was most famous amongst his family. Though it looked befitting for a whole family of rich folk, he lived here by himself, which was quite puzzling. If he had a family and a house already, why did he need a second house like this? It made no sense. Well, she didn't complain, she was just astonished.

Stepping down the steps into the lounge room, she stopped and turned around to see Gohan walk past her, the young Saiyan stopping beside her and gesturing towards the couches posted in the centre. "Please sit down, unless you want to stand there all day," he joked before moving forward, bypassing her. Videl giggled and followed, taking a seat on the big couch in the centre.

"We…wouldn't want that. It's embarrassing…" she replied. Gohan just smiled back, arriving at the easily seen kitchen. From here, he walked round the centre counter to the freezer, opening it and pulling out a couple of things. He then opened the fridge beside it and brought out something else. Before he could move on, he glanced round at the girl again.

"Would you like something to eat or drink?" the young Saiyan asked. "Tea…biscuits?" Videl shrugged, running a hand through her hair in a shy manner.

"Surprise me…"

Gohan smiled again, closing both operating doors and walking back to the girl. When he returned, he set down two articles on the coffee table in front of Videl that seemed so familiar to her. On a tray sat a homemade strawberry sundae and beside it an iced-coffee. Gohan took the iced-coffee and sat back on the couch. The raven haired girl beside him shook her head and smiled up at him, a little hint of crimson still seen on her cheeks.

"You always did know how to surprise me," she said softly to him. As she reached over for the bowl of ice-cream, she missed Gohan flash her a cheerful grin. However, when she returned to her proper sitting position, she looked back to see and hear him chuckle.

"I still am…aren't I?' he asked, though more hesitant then ever. Videl smiled, taking the spoon into her hand and tasting the sundae for what it was. Swallowing the cream in her mouth, she moaned softly and closed her eyes, savoring the taste and feeling. After which she turned back round to Gohan, eyes shining.

"You are…" Gohan nodded, taking one sip from his iced-coffee before setting it down on the table. Videl took this time to take a couple more bites from her ice-cream, and then put it down as well. Clearing their throats, the two looked back up at each other. They kept their stares subtle of affection, in spite of the tender moment. Gohan, restrained by the memories of the Broly battle, just couldn't really bring himself to face Videl yet. The teenage crime-fighter however was more along the lines of shy then ashamed.

Rubbing the back of his head, Gohan glanced up at Videl and smiled again. "So…how are you doing, Videl? I…haven't seen you…for a while…" He tried to look up at her, but only stole glances. The raven haired girl however was looking up at him more then he was at her.

"I'm alright," she replied. "It's just that…I'm worried about you…" Raising an eyebrow, Gohan looked up at her, surprised. Videl smiled sweetly at him, but then took up a very hurt look and shuffled over to him. Gohan considered sliding away, but couldn't move due to his almost paralyzed state thanks to his surprise. The girl, daringly, reached out and took his hand into hers. From here, she gazed into his eyes deeply, seeing into his very soul. "It's been two weeks, and I haven't heard from you since. Why aren't you coming to school anymore?"

Gohan looked away. He was still a little fearful that Videl was going to blow up at him or something, but who was he to judge? "I-It's hard to explain. It's just…because…well…" The raven haired girl gave his hand a little squeeze, tilting her head up at him and moving a bit closer.

"What is it?" she asked. "A memory…or me?" Gohan looked back up at her, blinking. His gaze wasn't restrained or altered in any way, allowing him to stare clearly into the girl's eyes. Moments later, he shook his head and looked away again, staring down at his feet.

"It's not you…it's _me_. I just…" He sighed, shaking his head at the same time so to gather up his spirits again. When he did, he looked up into the girl's face. There he saw the ever concerned expression she rarely held. Through this, she directed all her attention towards him, her hand still clutching his. "I just…couldn't bring myself to see you…because…"

"You were afraid that I would see you differently and that I'd hate you?" she asked. Gohan nodded, looking away again. She had put the words right into his mouth. It was understandable, Videl did have a lot of time to think since that battle.

"I thought you would…see me…as some sort of…freak…or monster…" Videl gritted her teeth and lifted his hand up to her, clutching it in two hands now. This move drew Gohan's eyes to her again.

"Why would you think that?" she asked. "I _don't_ hate you…and I don't see you any differently then how I saw you when we first met!" Gohan blinked as she spoke to him and as they both stared into each other's eyes. Videl looked at him with an upset expression and drew closer. "We've known each other for weeks now, maybe even a month…and we understand each other, don't we? So why would you think something like that?"

Gohan blinked, staring for a few seconds but then responding to her question. "Everyone…" he began. His voice was low and paced, his mind summing up the best way he could put his thoughts into words. "…has reacted to me in…different ways. Sure my family knows almost everything about me, even our closest friends. But…when it comes to other people…it's a different story. The way they react…whenever they see me …transform…" Videl blinked, her gaze still locked with his. The young Saiyan in front of her sighed and stood up, the raven haired girl releasing his hand. When he stood up, he allowed his form to be enveloped in his strengths and energies. With very little effort, he powered up right there in front of her. A golden aura shot up around him, followed by a light gust of wind and the evident changes to his eye and hair color. "It's not normal…" Videl watched in awe as Gohan assumed his Super Saiyan form, the half-Saiyan looking up at her after he had transformed. "You see…?"

Videl gulped before getting to her feet and walking over to him. As she did so, she raised her right hand and reached out to him, wanting to see and feel for herself that it was real. Never in her life had she ever seen something like this before, as Gohan was the first. She just…wanted to be sure. It was as soon as her fingers came in contact with his warping aura did she really see for herself the difference between illusion and reality. This couldn't compare to either…

"Y-You're not…human…are you, Gohan?" she asked. Gohan lowered his head, gaze turning to the floor. He stepped back, Videl's hand moving out of his aura. The raven haired girl looked at him in surprise, covering up the slight shock that had consumed her before.

"It's a trait of my father's," Gohan whispered. "I, nor he, are human, and neither are a couple of other members of my family. My father's a Saiyan…an alien warrior from another planet, one of the only species in the galaxy that can even come close to the appearance and genetics of a human. My mother, however, _is_ a human. My dad married my mother, and they had me. That makes me…half Saiyan…"

Videl heard everything that Gohan told her, and she was with no doubt shocked. However, she took this news pretty well, and the spare of silence for the moment allowed the half-Saiyan warrior in front of her to continue. He looked up, allowing his golden aura to subside so that he could hold his form at a controlled level that didn't burn everything around him.

"Because the Saiyans are a warrior race they have strengths and abilities far beyond that of a normal human. They also have the ability to transform…one of these, which is hard to achieve, is a Super Saiyan form, the appearance everyone knows as the Gold Fighter and the form you see me standing in now," he stated. "It increases my strength, and allows me to fight with greater power and skill then my normal form…" It was at the end of this statement he powered down to base form. His blonde hair averted back to black and his eyes slowly returned to their original color. Though they stayed teal for a few moments, they eventually darkened to charcoal again. It seemed to enhance his point well. "And there's more to it…only…it will take some more time to explain…"

Videl looked into his eyes, the two of them standing just a couple of feet apart now. "So that's how you're so strong!" the raven haired crime-fighter exclaimed. "And…the sword…and those energy attacks?"

"The energy attacks are ki produced, and is possible for even a human to muster," he stated. "But the sword, well…that's another story…"

Videl, who was still staring up at the young man in front of her, just smiled brightly. Her eyes wavered and she took a further step closer. "Gohan…that's…amazing! What I saw you do was amazing! How can you call yourself a monster then?"

Gohan blinked, a little surprised. "Y-you mean you're…not mad or…anything?" he asked. "Even though… I'm part alien?" Videl smiled, walking up to him and taking his right hand into her two hands. She pulled his hand to her chest, gazing up into his eyes. Gohan was caught off guard by her quick step movements, and never expected this.

"Gohan…you're you," she said softly, her grip tightening in affection. "…and it's you I want to be with. I don't know anyone who is as human as you are…" She stepped closer, batting her eyelashes up at the spiky haired teenager. "Not too long ago, I thought of us as good…close friends. But then I realized…as time past and my feelings grew…I knew that I was in love with you, Gohan. And I am…"

Now this was something Gohan failed to predict. As he stared down at the girl in astonishment, he saw her smile lovingly up at him, and blush under his eyes.

"I love you…"

Blinking, Gohan looked down at his hand that she was holding. When she released it, he found that he was holding onto his pendant necklace, a piece the raven haired girl had slipped into his palm the moment she grasped hold of his hand. He gazed down at the sparkling jewel, seeing its dim shine react with his emotions. For several seconds his eyes remained locked with it, before looking back up at Videl to see her still smiling up at him with that ever loving smile.

He blinked. "You…brought this…to me?" Videl nodded.

"You dropped it," she replied. "I…wanted to give it back to you. I also wanted to tell you how I feel. But you…never came back to school…"

Gohan looked back down at the necklace, seeing it glitter for a moment. It was then, after several more seconds of standing around in silence, the young half-Saiyan smiled and looked up. At the same time, his crystal necklace sparkled brightly. With a quick glance into Videl's soul, Gohan stepped forward, taking the necklace into his two hands and holding it out. As the raven haired girl in front of him gazed into his eyes, he used the opportunity to weave to necklace around her neck, and clip it around the back. After which, Videl gazed down at the pendant hanging from the chain to see it shine and flicker as beautifully as it had been on Gohan when he wore it. After which she looked up at the young Saiyan with a puzzled expression.

The spiky haired teen smiled. "You're very precious to me, Videl," he said softly. "And I…feel the same way about you." He placed his hands on her shoulders as he gazed down at her, giving her a loving smile as well. "I love you too…"

Videl's expression and smile seemed to brighten. The words that came out of Gohan's mouth were ones that made her feel everything she was feeling now. Happiness, joy and love…it all came with this moment! She grinned happily, receiving one in return from the young Saiyan in front of her. As soon as that exchange of smiles was made, Videl leapt at Gohan. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled his head down and crushed her lips against his. The tender kiss was not the foreplay of this; it was the passionate kiss that came first. Gohan responded eagerly, with both of them deepening the kiss in kind. With Videl on her toes and Gohan having to lean over a bit to make their position more comfortable, the two embraced in this passionate display for what seemed to them: an eternity. However, it was only a couple of minutes before they broke away, both of them panting heavily for breath.

After pulling away from each other, Videl smiled up at Gohan, their faces still very close to each other.

"Can I ask you something, Gohan?" the raven haired girl asked. The young Saiyan smiled.

"Sure…"

"There isn't _just_ the Gold Fighter underneath that visage of yours, is there?" Videl asked, raising an eyebrow and her expression turning mischievous. Gohan smirked, lowering his head a bit so that his eyes overshadowed. Following this move he looked up again with a glint in his eye.

"What makes you think that…" Videl grinned and leaned up on her tip-toes, tenderly kissing his lips before running her tongue over the edges of them.

"You taste familiar…" the girl whispered. "Someone from a past Martial Arts Tournament…which is starting to shed some light on how you bought this house…"

Gohan smirked. "_Just tell me what you want_…" he whispered in an all too familiar line he had whispered to the same girl on the ring. Videl grinned, laying her head against the young man's chest and letting out a breath of air.

"I knew it…the Blind Bandit was you all along. No wonder…the weird feelings…and everyone saying your Gold Fighter outfit looks the same as the one the last year's World Martial Arts Champion wore," Videl said. She then began tinkering with one of Gohan's martial-arts top button's, seeing the string loosen under her finger. Seeing this and a bit of his chest become exposed, a very evil grin crossed her face and she glanced up at the spiky haired warrior. "I wonder what he looks like without his clothes…"

Gohan raised an eyebrow down at her. Gee…he never saw this side of Videl before. And he always thought he was the one with the out-of-control hormones. Guess he was mistaken. "Are you sure you want to find out?" he asked. Videl looked up at him. Though she was blushing, she was looking at him with passionate hunger.

"Oh yeah…" Once again she leapt up at him, capturing his lips in a heated kiss. Gohan picked her up, feeling the girl kick her boots off and wrap her legs around his waist, grinding their pelvises together. From here, the young Saiyan staggered with his extra cargo over to his room, the two of them still locked in their passionate embrace…

One would like to think what would happen after that door shut…

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_

I just love those moments; they make the fic all the sweeter. The truth is, Gohan never forgot about Videl back at the World Tournament, and she sure as hell never forgot about the Blind Bandit. She solves them all at once, and I put every piece of the fic in this chapter. Videl was supposed to find out about both identities, the necklace is a strong point and the next chapter will come in as soon as possible…


	56. Surprises

DRAGONBALL Z

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Surprises_

It's been a whole afternoon and night, and nobody has seen Gohan or Videl during that time. Chi-Chi, who had half expected to see the yellow jet-copter leave the premises, became overly suspicious about what was going on over at Gohan's place when it didn't. However, because she and Bulma had four Saiyan mouths to feed by dinner, had to get cracking at the dishes and food before the hour struck nine. And then, as everyone sat down for dinner, there was still no sign of the teenage pair. Even as night fell and morning soon came, there was absolutely no commotion coming from the large house next door. All the windows and blinds were closed, and all the doors were locked. As Chi-Chi was making breakfast for the only two males present in the household, she couldn't help but glance every now and then at Gohan's place across the way.

However, all her questions and puzzled thoughts would soon be put to rest. When Goku and Goten were finally up and ready for a working day, they made their way down to the kitchen to have their breakfast. Just as the Son mother was setting down the last plates of food and was about to take a seat herself, the door to the front of their house opened and two familiar figures walked on in. The two teenagers from the other homestead stood at the entrance to the kitchen, with Gohan taking the lead and Videl sort of hanging up back. Chi-Chi was the first to spot them, her acknowledgment of the pair also attracting the attention of Goku and Goten to the two lovers.

Chi-Chi sighed with relief when she saw Gohan was alright. "Finally," the mother groaned, getting to her feet. "Good morning, Gohan! Did you sleep well?"

The young Saiyan nodded, smiling as well in kind so not to appear indecent on account of his now _tainted_ soul. He was dressed in a pair of black trousers, a white T-shirt and a yellow sport's vest from Capsule Corp with just regular sports shoes. Videl, who had had her clothes…_mysteriously_ 'stolen', was wearing a new, different set of casuals. This consisted of a pair of tight blue jeans, sport shoes, and a dark blue tank-top with yellow letters on the front clearly spelling '_FIGHT'_. She had her hands placed behind her, and was glancing round at the Son family with a curious look. Her hair was no longer in pig-tails, as it freely hung without restraint. She remained silent, figuring Gohan could take the brunt of the swords if they were both found out.

"I slept fine, thanks mom," the young Saiyan replied, grinning as he approached, step by step, closely followed by Videl. Chi-Chi smiled back and nodded as well, glancing round at the girl trying to hide behind her older son.

"And it's good to see you too, Videl," the woman exclaimed. "Please, won't you join us for breakfast…?" The young girl smiled, nodding affirmatively.

"Yes…thank you," she replied, stepping round her boyfriend/mate. Gohan pulled up a chair for her, and together the two took seats beside one another, with Gohan sitting beside his father and Videl next to Goten. The two doppelgangers of Goku, the son and the father, were staring at the pair with albeit surprise and curiosity. But as soon as the two teenagers took their seats, the pair that lived under this roof smiled in a friendly manner at their guests before making introductions relevant.

"It's nice to meet you, Videl," Goku said with a smile, nodding to her with a fork and knife in hand. "I'm Goku Son, Gohan's father…" Videl bowed to the spiky haired warrior, still smiling brightly.

"It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Son."

"Please call me Goku," the Saiyan warrior said, waving a hand at the name 'Mr. Son'. "I'm not used to being addressed by my last name. It's kind of out of character for me." Videl nodded, grinning.

"Sure thing, Goku…" She then glanced over to her left to see the youngest member of Gohan's family smiling at her. She had met young Goten before, but the boy was still inclined to make introductions and have a formal hello. He tilted his head at the girl and grinned happily.

"Hi there, I'm Goten!" he chirped, blinking as he gazed into her pretty face. "It's nice to see you again!" Videl grinned, reaching up and ruffling the boys head.

"Ditto, Goten," she replied, earning a giggle from the child before she glanced round at Gohan, smiling. "You have a very nice family, Gohan. Are they always this happy?" Gohan shrugged.

"Perhaps. I don't really stick around that much to see the rest of it," he exclaimed, collecting up two bowls of rice and filling them up with egg pancakes, Choy Sum and bacon mixed with fishbowls. After filling the two bowls up, he set one down in front of Videl, who turned her sights to the delicious looking entrée. Gohan put his down as well, making sure his mate was satisfied. "But as the story goes, I guess they always are."

Chi-Chi and Goku smiled at each other, nodding in silent acceptance of the new girl. Indeed, they both had to agree that Videl was the perfect girl for Gohan. So far she was making a really good impression on them. So, setting aside intros and talk, the whole family got down to their breakfast. Goku and Goten ate as usual, their Saiyan eating habits causing food to fly everywhere in a hail-storm. Chi-Chi, Gohan and Videl didn't mind, though it came as slight surprise that the raven haired girl wasn't shocked in the least. Guess Gohan had filled in the details long before this moment. Anyway, as the family ate, with the food slowly disappearing from the table, plate by plate, Chi-Chi decided to make conversation with the newest member to the Son table. Putting down her chop-sticks, she smiled up at Videl while interlocking her hands and fingers together.

"So Videl," Chi-Chi began. "Gohan tells us that you're quite the martial artist," the woman exclaimed, attracting Videl's attention immediately when she was addressed. Goku and Goten gave no never mind to what was going on and continued plowing through their breakfast. Gohan however kept an open ear and eye, glancing round the table at both his mate and his mother. "Well that's quite obvious. I've seen your fights at the World Tournament and I must say I was quite impressed. How long have you been doing martial arts for?"

Videl smiled, swallowing whatever food she had before placing the tips of her chopsticks against the bottom of the half-empty bowl. "Well, when I was younger my dad encouraged me to be a martial artist. Even today he's always pestering me to get into the gym and practice, so that one day I can take over the gym and become the next World Champion. My mother, well…she taught me lady stuff; cooking, cleaning…basically all that. She never really liked me doing martial arts," Videl said, still smiling. "She was a very kind woman…rarely ever angry and always happy. Though I've been doing martial arts since I was five, I never really wanted to do it for anything more then just exercise and self-defense…"

Chi-Chi nodded her head, still smiling brightly through this exchange of friendly words. "I see. Well, then you're doing it all for the right reasons. That's a good thing." Videl grinned.

"I only entered the tournament to test myself, to see if I can better my skills in any way possible," the raven haired girl said, shrugging slightly while tapping the side of her bowl with her chopsticks. "And after fighting Gohan, I knew there was still _a lot_ I need to catch up on…"

Goku, catching onto to this, looked up with his mouth full and poked his fork in the young girl's direction. "Rats…ud…inking…" Chi-Chi glared at her husband and thumped him in the shoulder, the older Saiyan turning to his wife in surprise. There, he met the harsh death stare the Son mother was well known for and immediately knew from first glance what the problem was. Swallowing the food he had in his mouth, he cleared his throat and nodded glumly while looking thoroughly ashamed. "Don't talk with your mouth full…sorry Chi…"

Chi-Chi smiled and nodded. "That's okay, Goku," the black haired woman exclaimed before turning back to Videl with her casual smile back in play. The raven haired girl could only chuckle at what had happened, while Gohan remained too observant on the two women to really even take notice. "As I was saying, testing yourself through the tournament is a good sign of a strong-minded fighter. Are you sure you don't want to carry on with your father's dream, Videl?"

Videl shook her head. "No I'm afraid not. My main goal is just to graduate from high school and settle down." Chi-Chi's expression became puzzled, and she looked at the young girl with deep curiosity.

"Why so?" she asked. The young female shrugged, giving her bowl of food a second glance before looking back at Chi-Chi again.

"Being a celebrity really sucks, what with all the reporters and the paparazzi following you everywhere. I'd rather move away from the city out of their reach, and live out in the country. My winnings from my past martial arts competitions, especially the junior division competitions, sets my bank account for life, so I don't have to worry about work or anything like that for a long time," Videl stated, turning to Gohan and passing him a loving smile. The young Saiyan smiled back, both of them sharing a few seconds of soul gazing before eventually turning back to Chi-Chi, to find that she was observing both of them intently. "And I know I've made the right choices for a good future."

Chi-Chi looked between the two thoughtfully, furrowing her brow while attempting to unravel the mystery of her son and the new girl. Even though it was obvious the two were romantically involved, Chi-Chi just had no idea how deep. From the start she had noticed how well Gohan was treating the girl, as well as the fact why the two of them couldn't tear their eyes away from each other for a few seconds at least. If she didn't take note of this then she was duller then a white washed wall.

At the very moment she was staring at the two, she saw Videl glance back at Gohan, and seemingly shuffle her seat closer to his. It was this movement that drew the woman's attention to the raven haired girl's neck, where she suddenly saw the easily recognizable bite mark. It was shallow, but clearly stood out against her skin at the base, knocking Chi-Chi's senses wide open.

Shutting her eyes, the Son woman shook her head before staring wide-eyed again at the sight. Yup…there was no question about it. She was right! If that and this wasn't the result of the Saiyan mating process, then she had no idea what to think. It sent a jolt of excitement through her body, with the sound of wedding bells ringing in her ears, as well as the thoughts of grandchildren parading at the back of her head. However, these pieces of emotion spurring upbringings did not overflow, therefore she didn't lose control.

Keeping her cool, she gently tore her eyes away from the bite mark and quietly returned to her meal. As with everyone else, nothing drastic took place, nor did

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_

* * *

_**Author's note:**_

_Sorry for the late update and sorry if it's a bit short. It's all I could come up with on short notice. I'm kind of stuck into a new project, writing my own novel and have torn myself away from this a bit. Yup, plans for publish in the future for this author. P.S: this might slow my fanfic writing down a bit, so I apologize for the late updates in my stories._


	57. More Surprises

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_More Surprises!_

"No way!" Goku's voice suddenly rang out, echoing around the kitchen. The older Saiyan was staring at his wife with wide eyes and an open mouth, gawking at the news he had just been presented with.

Okay, perhaps not one of the ways Chi-Chi could have broken the news to her husband, but she couldn't think of anything else. Breakfast was already over, which was the better time of anything else; otherwise the spiky haired warrior surely would have choked on something while being informed of his son's sudden step into full manhood. However, the oldest Saiyan of this household still choked after being told straight out from Chi-Chi about her amazing, life changing discovery. Needless to say, the woman was glad to have gotten this small part out of the way.

Gohan had not too long ago taken Videl on a flight around Mount Paoz, just to fill her in with the experience of no-device flying, as well as set her up with some unchained thrills. At the same time, he promised to teach her how to fly and give her a memory she'll never forget. Goten had vacated the area too, depositing himself in the valleys to catch bugs and do whatever he pleased. If he was lucky, he might run into Piccolo, who would gladly hold him up for training.

Anyway, back to the scene, Goku was slowly recovering from his recent bolt of shock. Informed of the predicament Gohan and Videl were tied in, it meant that the two of them were set and ready for the next stage of tightening the bow. However, he was still processing the earlier facts first.

"They've bonded already! Since when?!" Goku asked, a little too loudly in the case of single-room, table conversation. Chi-Chi was presently working away at the dishes at the kitchen sink, and merely shrugged at her husband's question. This left the Saiyan warrior gazing at her back without an answer for several seconds. It was only when she did eventually fill in the pause of silence did he receive a satisfactory result, one that was highly expected.

"Maybe…" she allowed a second of thought as her imagination ran with her. "…since the many hours in the afternoon the other day, all the way through to two o'clock this morning," she replied, glancing over her shoulder with a devilish grin. "Come on, sweetheart. As if you and I haven't performed _that_ ritual hundreds of times before…"

Goku, buckled by the answer, slumped back in his seat, eyes gazing dazedly up toward the ceiling and a goofy smile on his face. At the same time, he rubbed the back of his head with his left hand sheepishly. "Heh-heh…" he chuckled nervously. "Now that you mention it…yeah…I guess we do…"

Chi-Chi nodded affirmatively, easily getting her point across. She returned to her scrubbing chores, while continuing her conversation with her husband. "Well…obviously it's time to start the preparations! Oh…this is going to be so exciting!" the woman exclaimed, turning off the taps while taking the last dish she was scrubbing into a hugging grasp. With her arms crossed and pressing the plate against her, she performed a full twirl before stopping, front faced towards Goku, and eyes gazing into space.

The older Saiyan gave his wife an odd stare, seeing tears well up in her eyes and cheeks flush with delight. It was quite a surprising reaction, none to say the least.

"My son…my baby…he's finally going to get married, and give me the grandchildren I so want to spoil! Ooh…isn't it wonderful, Goku?"

Her husband stared for a moment, blinking as he slowly responded to her joyous calls and hopes for the future. After a moment or so, he eventually voiced his opinion and answer. "Umm…yes…yes it is, Chi-Chi…heh…"

The Son mother turned to him, smiling brightly and giving him that knowing gaze of enthusiasm and persistence. "We must inform the others of the wedding plans. We'll arrange the guests secretly and make it a private wedding ceremony, just like my Gohan always wanted! We'll invite all our friends and relatives…oh, and let's not forget Videl's family! We must meet them, I can't wait!"

Goku chuckled, getting to his feet while waving his hands in front of him. He gave out a nervous image through this action, something that was all too familiar on a Son face. Backing away in the table, he tried to ease around it towards his wife, but didn't dare step any closer for fear of getting yelled at. Chi-Chi was known for responding suddenly at high volume.

"Whoa there, Chi-Chi!" Goku eased, beads of sweat running down his forehead. "Just slow down there! Aren't you moving this thing along a little too quickly? I mean…we haven't even gotten an official answer from Gohan and Videl yet! Plus there is the hours of planning, the costs…and…" He was cut short by Chi-Chi rushing up to him. Disposing of the plate and apron she wore on her person, she grabbed her husband by the wrist and began dragging him out of the house. The startled Goku could do nothing but get dragged along like a puppy on a leash.

His wife had completely gone loco on this.

"Don't drag your feet, honey! Come on!" Chi-Chi exclaimed happily. "We've got to tell Bulma and the others! Grab Goten and hurry up!" They both burst through the door, Goku still being pulled along.

"R-Right…ouch!" he yelped. "Not so hard Chi-Chi…that hurts!"

* * *

_**An hour later…**_

After snatching Goten from his explorations, the three Son family members flew to Kame Island on Nimbus, beginning _Operation Wedding Surprise_. Strange name, but it was all Chi-Chi could come up with on such short notice, even though she had been planning for this day for years. Anyway…if there was any better place to start with secret preparations as big as this, then the home of the turtle master was that place! Almost all of their friends went in and out of there on an almost scheduled pace, and for several good reasons. One, the sea air was fresh without any hint of pollution to be seen or smelt, two, it was peaceful without a shred of other human life to be seen, three, it was on Z-fighter property…about 150 square miles of open ocean, four, the surf was great, and five, a great deal of their friends reside at that place for a great period of time!

A simple flight across the planet's surface was to follow Goku, Chi-Chi and Goten's take off from Mount Paoz. Within minutes, they were within reach of the ocean, and about half an hour after leaving home, they arrived at Kame Island. Bringing Nimbus in for a skim landing across the small beach line, Goku, Goten and Chi-Chi leapt off of their mode of transport and watched it fly off.

"See yah, Nimbus!" Goku called. "Thanks for the lift!"

Chi-Chi brushed down her dress, letting out a sigh while letting Goten go on ahead and find the others.

"Next time Goku, put a windshield up on that cloud," the Son mother breathed, looking up at her husband as he wrapped he lead her around the building, following the same path young Goten had taken. The Saiyan warrior responded to the improvement suggestion with a chuckle, shaking his head as they padded over loose grains of sand.

"I would if I could, Chi-Chi," Goku replied. "But Nimbus isn't what you'd call your average class of vehicle…"

Making their way around the one housed island, the pair eventually made it to the side where Master Roshi and the others usually hung out and played, sun bathed and caught their tans. Of course, their senses couldn't be anymore right, as they spotted almost the entire island's residents out on a beach day! What's more of a surprise, was that there was more then just the regular company.

Apparently, the gang on the island had decided to host a little celebration, per say, a beach party! Almost everybody from the Z-gang has gathered here: Krillin, 18#, Bulma, Oolong, Puar, Tien, Chaozu, Launch, Master Roshi, Turtle, Yamcha, Ren, Marron, Vegeta and Kid Trunks. Heck, even some other unexpected overseas guests were present, including Lime, Erran and Anya. It was some turn out, especially since there were three more, surprise guests…people who haven't been seen in ages!

Not only have long known friends decided to show, but remarkably, Androids 16#, 17# and 18b were here too! Of course, nobody had expected to see either of them, but who was complaining. Everyone was pretty much in a celebratory mood.

"What the…" Goku said, blinking and looking around at all the familiar faces. The fact that all their friends were already celebrating meant that maybe even if they did tell everybody about their eldest Son's girlfriend and would be mate, may not make any changes. However, the look on Chi-Chi's face told more then was required, and also for a fact that when she got an idea in her head, she would not stop, no matter what.

The Son mother stepped forward and placed her fists on her hips, looking out onto the ruckus in front of her. The Z-Fighters were all too busy caught up in their own little worlds, playing ball, mingling, and even buildings sandcastles, save for the presence of Piccolo and Vegeta, who were just brooding in their own little corners.

"What in the world is going on here?" Chi-Chi asked.

Krillin, who was at the barbeque tending to the kababs, sensed the familiar presence of his old friend and turned around, seeing Goku and his wife standing far out, notably having just arrived to the group's party. Goten had long since left their side to hang out with Trunks. Grinning, the former monk raised a hand and waved at the new arrivals, drawing attention from the rest of the party goers to the approaching couple.

"Hey! Goku! How's it going?!" Krillin exclaimed, turning away from the barbeque and gesturing in Goku's direction. "I've been calling you for a while now! What's been happening at your place that you weren't able to answer the phone?"

"Sorry, Krillin!" Goku exclaimed with a laugh, rubbing the back of his head, "Must have already left the house when you tried to call us… heh…"

"Well, you came at the perfect time!" Krillin declared, pointing out towards the rest of the family. "Since all these years we've been so busy to catch up, me and my wife figured we'd throw a… a little get-together! All the friends and relatives are here!"

"It took a while, but we managed to get in touch with the scattered ones!" Android 18# said as she approached her husband by the barbeque, surprising Chi-Chi with her sudden appearance. The blonde bombshell stopped by the sizzling articles on the BBQ and turned them over, making sure to get the other sides of the kababs and steaks well done. "If you may have noticed my family is here too…" 18# concluded, with a light smile, pointing over her shoulder to 18b, 16# and 17# mingling with the crowds.

Goku craned his neck to get a better look at the gang.

As far as he could see, Goten, Kid Trunks and Marron were playing beach ball in the water, throwing the air-pumped ball around with Puar, Oolong and Turtle. Ren, giving her husband some space, had taken to building a sand castle in a well-open area on the beach surrounding Master Roshi's home, a rather magnificent one (which resembled exactly like Buckingham Palace), alongside Bulma, Erran, and 18b. Anya was involved in deep conversation with Chouzu and Launch, just general stuff and current events, although all of them had different views. Master Roshi, Tien and Android 17# were looking through three different magazines; Master Roshi, _Playboy,_ Tien, _Women's Volleyball League Illustrated,_ and Android 17#, _Jugs and Ammo._ All three of them were sitting in a line, each with a smoothie sitting on their right hand side, and in a comical fashion, would always turn a page at the same time, or take a sip from their drinks.

While all of this was going, Lime had challenged Vegeta to a card game, which she knew he would never refuse, thanks to his Saiyan pride. The two of them were deeply engrossed in it, each with a different set of cards in their hands, and poker faces in play, with Yamcha watching. Tilting his head, Vegeta looked up at Lime, seeing her smirking back at him, since she was clearly winning and he was losing. Gritting his teeth, the Saiyan Prince looked back down at his hand and raised an eyebrow.

"Do you uhh… have any threes?"

"Uh-Uh! Go-fish!"

"BLAST THIS REDICULUS EARTH GAME!" Vegeta growled, throwing his cards on the table face down, folding his arms and huffing in a very childish way. He tapped his finger impatiently as he glared at the teenage girl sitting in front of him calmly. "Back on Planet Vegeta, we had sports and activities far better then this; _**real**_ card games that involved blood shed and resulted in great pain! These were games of the highest caliber that tested your vigor, your strength, your wit, and made a warrior out of you!"

"Uh-huh," Lime replied, clearly not intimidated by the prince's glare, or his harsh, and brief statement of his foreign culture. The brown haired girl folded a leg over and smiled slyly at the flame-haired Saiyan. "I bet that's just another way to say you're chickening out…"

Vegeta's eye twitched. Muttering curses under his breath, he picked up the cards and glared back down at his hand. He picked up another from the pile, and looked down at what he had with a look he used against Cell in their battle.

"Where were we…?" the Prince grumbled.

"Got any twos?" Lime asked.

"HA!" Vegeta laughed. "Go-fish!"

Rolling her eyes, Lime reached for the pile, but at that very moment, a seagull decided to drop a little on their little game. The splat of white crap on the pile caused Lime to freeze in mid-hand extension, and both Lime and Vegeta stared down at the pile, blinking in mild surprise and hesitation. The young girl bit her bottom lip.

"I'm not fishing in that pond…"

Scratching his head, Goku looked back at Krillin with a curious look. "What's the occasion?"

Krillin shrugged. "I just told yah! It's a Z-Fighter Fiesta… a Get-Together… a Beach Party!" The short man exclaimed, lacing his fingers and pushing them forward, popping them as if he were stretching for a fight, or as a sign of victory. The former monk leaned back, and placed his hands on the surface behind him for support. "Everyone's invited! Relax and enjoy yourselves! Ox-King should be here in a few minutes…"

"Uhh… honey…" 18# began, a look of concern on her face.

"Just a sec dear," Krillin replied, all the while not taking his eyes off of Goku and Chi-Chi in front of him, who were wincing at the amount of smoke rising behind the monk, and the sizzling sound emitted. Undeterred, Krillin tilted his head up at his child-hood friend and raised an eyebrow. "By the way Goku, where's Gohan? Is the kid doing alright? Sure hope he is, especially after that… Super Saiyan incident at his school…"

"Um…Krillin," Chi-Chi interrupted.

"Hm?"

"Your hands…" the woman pointed out, drawing Krillin's attention to his palms, firmly pressed against the grill of the Barbeque, now smoking a toasty red. The former monk blinked, nodding his head and looking up at Goku and Chi-Chi, who were looking down with rather pained expressions. "Excuse me…WAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!" Krillin yelled, hurling himself for the ocean. He threw himself hands first into the shallows, with everyone who had heard his scream watching with amusement.

As Krillin dunked his hands repeatedly into the water, Goku and Chi-Chi sighed out in content, before looking back at Android 18#, who shrugged at them and smiled.

"He'll be alright…"

"Sure…" Chi-Chi exhaled. "Anyway, about Gohan…"

"What about Gohan!" a new voice joined the trio, the small group by the BBQ turning to see 18b, the raven haired android beauty, walking up to them. Dressed in a two-piece red swimsuit, holding a soft-drink can, and with her long black hair, which now reached down to her hip and tied close to the end with gauze into a nice pony-tail, the smiling android was a surprising, happy ray of sunshine amongst the group.

Back in the days when she and her siblings were purging the planet earth, this young android had been one of the strongest amongst the four of them, and was not only the coldest in personality and hostility to her brothers and sister, but also one of those who hadn't survived to see the end of the conflict. However, thanks to the first wish made to the dragon after the battle with Cell, she and her brother, having been victims at the hands of the biological monster, had been brought back to life. Now, not only had the android siblings been reunited with each other, but all of them had now turned over new leaves in their lives.

Beaming, 18b walked up to Goku and leaned up towards him, the Saiyan, surprised at her proximity, leaning backwards.

"Goku… where is Gohan? I-Is he with you guys now? I'd like to see him!" 18b exclaimed.

"Uhh…ummm…" Goku murmured from his rather peculiar angle of leaning back. Clearing his throat, the Saiyan looked between his wife and the young android standing in front a couple of times, before responding as best as he could. "Well umm… m-my son isn't here right now…-but I'm sure he'll come around… once he's figured out we're all here! I'm sure of it!"

Hearing this, 18b's expression saddened a bit, and she leaned back into a proper standing position, along with Goku, who gripped the sides of the gi belt around his waist in his old-fashion way. The girl nodded her head in understanding. "I see…" she whispered, looking up with a smile. Then, much to the increasing, unexpected surprises in Goku and Chi-Chi's day so far, a faint blush emerged on the android's cheeks, one which 18# also caught. "Well… I'd really like to see him soon… I…I'd like to thank him for all he has done for me…okay…"

"Uhh, sure thing!" Goku said, waving a hand in front of him. "I'm certain he'd be thrilled to see you again!"

Giggling, 18b trotted off, causing Goku to watch with a slack-jaw as to how much their former enemy… well… this one anyway… had changed.

"Wha…" Goku unintelligently mouthed.

"Oh dear…" 18# said, placing a hand on her face and shaking her head.

After watching 18b rejoin Ren at her sand castle, Goku, Chi-Chi, 18#, and a rejuvenated Krillin huddled up, and began sharing their words and thoughts out of ear shot. However, this wouldn't go unknown from Piccolo, who was listening to the groups from his spot under the palm tree, arms folded and eyes shut, clearly not doing anything.

"This could be problematic…" 18# whispered.

"What? Have you got anymore shocking news for us? Honestly, I can't take anymore of this," Chi-Chi said, taking in a deep breath of air.

"First the surprise party, then the rest of the gang showing up unexpectedly, along with two of our old enemies, I'd say that's pretty much okay," Goku whispered.

"Oh yeah," Krillin interrupted in a hushed voice. "Well how about this then? What about the fact that my wife's sister, 18b, is now in love with your older son…"

"Huh? What?" Goku exclaimed.

"Ooh… this is a problem," Chi-Chi replied.

"Why?" Goku asked, looking at his wife.

"Videl? Remember? Gohan's already bonded with her? They're officially married in Saiyan customs, Goku!" Chi-Chi said, glaring at her husband.

"**WHAT**!!" Krillin and Android 18# shouted in hushed voices.

"I can see how that'd be a problem," Goku said, looking up toward the sky in deep thought, while Krillin, 18# and Chi-Chi stared at him in anticipation. "Although… Vegeta did say something about Saiyan's being able to mate more times than once…"

"NO BIGAMY!" Chi-Chi growled, conking Goku on the head with her fist.

"Ow…" the Saiyan whined, rubbing his now bruised head.

"We're just going to have to tell her that my son is taken," Chi-Chi stated, folding her arms and nodding affirmatively. "I'm sorry, but Gohan and Videl are getting married, and we want this to be the best wedding surprise ever!"

"So…" Krillin began, rubbing his chin in thought. "Gohan's getting married to Hercule's daughter…hmm… wow. Never knew the kid had it in him." He shrugged, looking up at the two Son adults. "Does Videl's father approve?"

"We're still waiting on that," Goku replied, rubbing the back of his head and chuckling nervously. "Chi-Chi is asking me to 'pop in' and speak with him…"

"Well, you'll definitely have loads to talk about," 18# unenthusiastically replied, rolling her eyes. "Boy, that'll be a conversation of a life time…"

"Just don't scare the guy," Krillin stated.

Letting this talk go downhill for a bit, Goku and Chi-Chi broke away from the other couple, and went about to mingle with the others, all the while waiting up on Gohan to arrive. At this point, Vegeta had taken up another challenge against Lime for a game of poker, and was joined by Yamcha and Bulma in the game. Piccolo's silence in his corner did not go unnoticed by Goten, Trunks and Marron, who used the element of surprise to soak Piccolo in sea-water with a well-placed ki-blast. Pissed off, the Namekian warrior chased after the three troublemakers, which evolved into a hilarious battle between him on the shoreline, and the three of them splashing water in his face from the shallows. Android 16#, unbothered by the commotion, just stood in the sunlight and listened to the ocean's waves cascading around them, completely at peace.

Ren had finished constructing her Buckingham Palace, and was now onto constructing a replica of the Eiffel Tower, amazingly using the sand to cut the spaces in between the steel pillars. Chouzu and Launch joined her when Bulma departed, and along with Erran, attempted to build their own little castles. Although… none of them came close to the design qualities of Ren's work.

Goku and Chi-Chi mingled with Tien, Oolong, Puar, and stood by the amazing sand-castles and watch their constructions. The Saiyan chuckled as Launch, who was trying to build Mount Rushmore, suddenly had her creation collapse, well… the George Washington and Jefferson monuments anyway. The blonde groaned and slapped her head.

"Oh, I'm butchering it!" she muttered.

"Heh… keep it up. It looks great!" Goku exclaimed.

"Says you…"

"Well, these things will work out in the end!" Chi-Chi stated, taking a bite out of the kabab she managed to grab from the grill. Swallowing, the woman shrugged and let out a sigh. "Gohan has no idea what she is missing. What other surprises lay in store for us, I wonder…"

"Goku! Baby… how's it going!" a familiar voice called from behind, startling the Son mother as the said person pushed his way through. As it turns out, 18b wasn't the only one who had gone through a dramatic change.

17#, acting as though he was fresh from his college years, pardoned his way past Chi-Chi, and leant up against Goku, and thumped him in the arm in a friendly manner. Already shocked from the day's events already, the Saiyan couldn't help but gawk as the raven haired android male grinned up at him, wearing a pair of sunglasses and dressed in a pair of surfer shorts. 17# chuckled as he took a sip from Cola and gestured towards the Son father.

"You're looking great, man! It's been too long… too long… I gotta say!" the Android exclaimed in a highly uncharacteristic way. He looked over at Chi-Chi, who too was staring oddly at the young male. He nodded to her, still smiling happily… too happily. "Hey… how's it goin'…?"

"Umm… it's going… super," Chi-Chi replied, a little concerned now for her sanity. She was wondering if this was all a dream. Though she had never officially met Android 18#'s other brother, but she kind of deduced from the blonde's personality that her brother would be exactly like her. However, she was completely taken aback by this turn of events.

"Yeah… right on!" 17# said, looking back at Goku and poking him in the chest, before whispering to him. "Dude… your wife's a babe! How'd you manage to bag her?"

"Uhh…"

"I mean I gotta tell yah, you're one lucky man. I mean, your wife is like, one fine piece of work. What is she, twenty?" 17# asked. Goku was about to answer, but the android just shook his head, and slapped him on the shoulder. "Nah… don't answer that. She's still hot…"

Goku grinned and nodded his head. "Uh… yeah… yes she is!"

"You've got good taste man… good taste!" 17# said, nodding to him and getting back into a proper standing position. Taking another sip from his Cola, he made a 'cheers' motion towards the Saiyan, before turning heel, and heading over to join his sister by the grill with her husband and his brother-in-law. "Catch yah later, Goku! We've got much to talk about… much!"

"Yeah… heh…" Goku replied, waving. "See yah…"

As soon as 17# was out of ear-shot, Goku hunched over and let out a breath of air. "Ugh…"

"I can't take any more of this," Chi-Chi murmured, rubbing her forehead. "What's next, a second Gohan?!"

* * *

_**Elsewhere…**_

"Wow… this place is amazing, Gohan!" Videl awed, standing on the top of the hill, and looking out over the valley of one of her boyfriend's most special of places. The rolling hillsides, peaceful fields, clear blue sky, with puffy clouds over the distant mountains, joined by their reflections in the great lakes and rivers snaking through the green hills far below. The sheer beauty of the place touched her heart, and heightened her thoughts, soul and made her at peace, more so than anything else in her life. And what couldn't make this place any better, was that Gohan was with her, standing right behind her, watching her with a smile on his face, and a twinkle in his eyes.

Laughing, Videl jogged forward a bit, twirling on the spot, dancing with the wind, and the swirling leaves. After which, the girl turned around, and ran back to Gohan, leaping into his arms, so that they both span on the same spot, before collapsing in a fit of giggles to the ground. Together, they then sprawled out on the hillside, and looked up towards the sky and clouds. The raven haired crime fighter snuggled up to her boyfriend, and with a breath of air, both of them began marveling at the white, physical air shapes floating high in the stratosphere above them.

As the breezes drafted over the hillside in gentle harmony, blowing the tall grass around them in that magical way, the two of them closed their eyes, and enjoyed the feeling of each other. Closed off from society, and now floating in their own little world, neither of them could ask for anything else. It was the happiest, and freest either of them had ever felt in their entire lives.

"This is great… Gohan," Videl whispered, rubbing her cheek against her boyfriend's chest through his shirt. He responded by pulling her closer, rubbing her back and shoulder blade in a protective and tender manner. "I could live out here like this with you forever…"

"We could," Gohan replied, smiling down at her. "I can make it happen…"

Videl giggled and pushed at him. "You goof… you can't live forever…"

"But we can make it seem like an eternity," the young Saiyan replied, bringing his hand up to her hair, and running through it. Videl smiled up at him, blushing slightly as he lovingly caressed her hair, and then her cheek. Gohan marveled at her smooth skin, and the beauty he saw in her face, and reflected in her eyes. "Every moment I spend with you is wonderful… I can't even begin to describe how great it is…"

The girl grinned and turned over, hugging herself. "You softy," she giggled. "You just want me…"

"Well… that too," Gohan exclaimed, wrapping his arms around her, and placing his chin on her shoulder. "Do you want it?"

"It all depends?"

"Oh yeah… on what?"

"On whether you can persuade me?" Videl replied slyly. She looked over her shoulder, seeing her boyfriend smiling back at her. "Come on… surprise me?"

"Ever done it outside?"

"Ooooh… go on," Videl said, turning back over a bit. She couldn't help it. Ever since she bonded with this hunk of a hero, she couldn't contain her baser instincts any longer. The young teen was driven not only by love, but also by desire, hormones, and lust, something she has suppressed for ages. But now, it was beginning to show.

"Okay, how about this," Gohan exclaimed, and began tickling the girl. Videl hollered out in a fit of laughter and giggles, the young Saiyan taking advantage of the girl's sensitivity. "You are a dirty girl, come here!" he laughed.

"S-S-Stop it… HAHAHAHAHHA… S-Stop it Gohan! AHHAHAHAHA!" Videl laughed, slapping him in the arms lightly. "Y-You-AHAHAHAHA! You jerk! AHAHAHA!"

After tickling and poking fun at each other for a few minutes, they both went back to lying with each, with the two of them sharing a passionate kiss, and embrace. Smiling at each other, the happy pair was about to fall into a quick nap with each other where they were lying, before Gohan suddenly picked up a sudden vibration on the wind. Blinking, the young warrior, sat up, trying to pick up on this unfamiliar feeling. However, on a closer inspection, and with greater focus, the half-Saiyan furrowed his brow, and quickly came to the conclusion that this unexpected tick was something he was all too familiar with.

Videl, seeing Gohan distracted, also sat up and looked at her boy friend with concern.

"Gohan… what's wrong?"

"I… I'm not sure… but… it can't be," the young Saiyan replied, blinking. He further focused on the power level, which was now disappearing into the distance. "Scythe?"

"What… that creepy, silver haired freak with the sword that attacked you?" Videl asked, now sounding even more worried.

"Maybe… no… wait!" Gohan stood up, followed by his girlfriend and mate. Looking out towards the top of his familiar hill, where he had placed his future counterpart's sword years ago, he saw something that was just not right in his eyes, and completely out of place. The teen's eyes widened. "Oh no…"

"What is it?" Videl, now even more concerned, asked.

"The Spirit Blade… it's gone…"

* * *

_**Kami Island…**_

"Hey there fellas!" a new comer yelled from above, floating down from the sky, and landing at the edge of the shoreline, drawing the Beach Party goers present in the area. All the Z-Warrior's present and surrounding the barbeque, and the mini sand monuments constructed by Yamcha's wife, turned towards the new figure in surprise, wide-eyed and blinking. However, it wasn't until the shock of realization of who this new figure to join them was did any verbal responses come to mind with any of the Z-Fighters.

Beaming with joy, Bulma jogged towards the new comer with a smile on her face. "Trunks! You're back!"

"Hey, Mirai!" Yamcha exclaimed. Everyone, coming to recognize who it was, soon began responding in their own ways. Goten, Kid Trunks, and Maroon hung back and stared in curiosity and the young man that had showed up on the beach, unable to recognize the very warrior that aided the Z-Fighters years ago in their battle against Cell. Vegeta was gob-smacked rising to his feet, and staring in disbelief at his future son that had suddenly come out of no where to join them. Piccolo remained steadfast by his tree, Krillin, Puar and Oolong were dumbfounded, but soon found themselves approaching the young man, and Goku was already by his side to greet him. The Androids, mostly familiar with the silver haired half-breed, depending on their past association with him, either hung back, or just stared in curiosity. For Android 18#, she joined her husband with making the young warrior feel welcome, and even smiled at him as he shook hands with Goku, Yamcha, Master Roshi, Tien, Krillin, and hugged Bulma.

"Oh, how have you been, Trunks!" Bulma exclaimed, embracing the male for a few seconds, before backing away to get a good look at the boy. To her and everyone else, it appeared Mirai Trunks had grown a few years. Not only did he maintain the long hair-style, as well as the regular height, but he looked a little older, and was dressed in Capsule Corp. boots, black trousers, a red turtle-neck, and a yellow Capsule Corp. jacket, and instead of his regular long-sword on his back, but a katana instead. However, in spite of the changes in the time traveling warrior, all Bulma Briefs saw was her son. But it was a big surprise for everyone.

"I mean… Mirai! We haven't seen you in years! What's been happening to you in the future?" Bulma asked in interest.

The young time traveler grinned and rubbed the back of his head. "Ahh… everything's going great. I just… well… let's just say we stopped by on business…"

"Huh, business?" Krillin queried.

"You're still having android problems in the future?" Goku asked, concerned, "Were you able to stop them?"

"Huh? Oh, no! No, no! Not at all, they've been long gone!" Trunks said, waving his hands. "Even Cell… heh! I personally took care of that insect. B-But that's not what I'm here to tell you about. This can wait a bit…"

"Huh? Sure… if you say so!" Goku said, before grinning at him. "But welcome back, Trunks! It's great to see you again!"

"Yeah, it's great to see you all again too… I've missed you guys…" Mirai replied, looking around at all the familiar faces. "I must say though… there've been a lot of changes around here. You've all grown a lot since I last saw you…and I see a lot of you have gotten married!"

"Ahh… but it's been great these past seven years!" Tien said, smiling. "Ever since Cell… well… a lot of things have gone down, even in peace time!"

"Really?" Trunks said, glancing around at the Androids sitting on the beach, and looking at him. With the exception of Android 18# now standing beside Krillin, and Android 16# standing by the shore, seeing their old enemies 17# and 18b hanging out with the Z-Fighters came as a little bit odd to Mirai. However, the time traveler smiled and nodded. "I'll bet. I also see you've got another kid, Goku!" he turned back to the oldest Son member and grinned. The sight of his younger counter-part, and the young kid that resembled Goku's younger self to the exact detail, standing beside what Mirai deduced as Krillin and 18#'s daughter, didn't escape his field of vision. "I never expected that…"

"Yeah, well… with your appearance and everything, I guess we've got a lot of explaining to do," the Saiyan laughed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Hey Trunks!" Lime yelled from her seat by the poker table, accompanied by the waves from Erran and Anya from where they sat or stood. "Great to see you again!"

"Like wise!" Mirai called back, waving as well. He then looked around at Krillin and Yamcha. "That's Lime right, Gohan's girlfriend?"

"Ugh… I wouldn't say girlfriend, but you were pretty close," Yamcha said, arms folded as he stood beside Tien. "Things have been really hectic. Guess we should fill you in…"

"Oh… that reminds me!" Mirai said, finally remembering who else was with him. He smiled and stepped aside, drawing the Z-Fighters' attention over the teen's shoulder. "I'd like you guys to meet somebody…"

To say the Z-Fighters were in shock was an understatement. If they weren't speechless before, they were now, and the deathly silence that spread across the groups had a graveyard seem like a playground. Eyes wide, and mouths agape, the families and friends looked upon the new figure standing in the shallows beside Mirai. They had been unable to pick up his presence before, but now, with attention brought towards it, Goku, Chi-Chi, Bulma and everyone else got a clear view of an all too familiar face.

Dressed in his old martial arts gear, accept with a longer, buttoned up Chinese top that resembled that of a robe, and his left arm in a sling, as if it were broken, and his familiar claymore sword strapped on his back, the Z-Fighters looked upon a newly resurrected figure from years beyond. Despite being older, having a scar across his left eye, and a different hair-cut, no one could deny it that it was Goku's older son.

"Guys, I would like you to meet my master… Mirai Gohan!"

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	58. Gohan vs Gohan

**DRAGONBALL Z**

**P**ath of a **W**arrior

_Gohan vs. Gohan_

Silence echoed across the beach as every present eye was glued upon the newly arrived future warriors. Mirai Trunks allowed the realizations to seep in, and watched with quiet amusement as the Z-fighters recollected and restarted their engines… slowly…

Goku, Chi-Chi, Krillin, Android 18#, Yamcha, Tien, Piccolo, Vegeta, Bulma, Chouzu, Oolong, Puar, Master Roshi and perhaps everybody else who knew the Gohan from this time, as well as the story of Mirai Trunks, was practically gawking at this new Gohan, who looked to be in his late twenties, now standing before them. Of course, with the expression on his face as he was staring back at them, made it barely believable that he was a future Gohan from this time. His eyes were colder, and were like steel, and his more definite features distinguished him from the present, younger, adult Gohan.

"M-Mirai Gohan?" Goku murmured.

Future Trunks nodded with a proud smile. "Yeah!"

"I… I thought you said he was dead!" Bulma said, blinking.

The kids, who were hanging around the shoreline, watched from afar with curious expressions on their faces. After quickly checking out the newcomers, Kid Trunks turned towards his longtime best friend, and with a nudge to Goten's shoulder, attracted his attention.

"Hey, Goten, isn't that your brother?"

Aroused from his curious stupor, Goten looked back at his friend and nodded. "I think you're right, Trunks!"

"Y-Your brother looks different though," Marron said, walking up to the older boy, while still having her eyes pasted on the new figures. Looking them over some more, and how all the adults seemed to approach the pair with friendly handshakes and smiles of greeting, the very young, but bright girl, came to the conclusion that they too were long time friends from yesteryear. She looked up at the two boys beside her, who were back to looking over Mirai Trunks and Mirai Gohan. "D-Didn't he used to have two eyes?"

"…and both arms?" Trunks added.

"…and spikier hair?" Goten added himself.

Silence fell again, and the three children blinked as they took in the 'mystery' Gohan.

"He looks scary," Marron commented.

It was at this comment, Mirai Gohan turned to look over at the three children, as if from the distance he was from them, he had heard their innocent words. The three children let out simultaneous 'eeps', and ran over to where Launch and Ren were kneeling by the sandcastles, cowering behind them for protection. The two women, along with the androids and other familiar faces, were too caught up in staring at the new boys to take any notice of the children.

Watching the three kids run off and hide behind their nearest adult guardians, Mirai Gohan, with a Vegeta like glare in place, tore sights away from them and scanned the rest of the Z-fighters. As much as he tried to hide away his angst manifested as a mask portraying a stoic expression, he couldn't help but gaze from his pit of silent despair and sadness, at the ghosts of friends and family of his past. A hammer and sickle jabbed at his heart, as Future Gohan recalled all their faces, and he couldn't help but succumb to the feelings; the same feelings he experienced from the times he buried all of them, all in a single, private cemetery in Mount Paoz, all lined up.

Mirai Trunks looked up at his master as he took them all in, and the silver haired boy smiled as he gestured towards his family.

"Well, Gohan…?" Trunks exclaimed.

The adult half-Saiyan looked over at his apprentice and smiled, wallowing out of the shallows and patting the boy on the shoulder as he passed him. "Thank you, Trunks…" he spoke, his voice deep and husky, but sounding as though he hadn't spoken in a while. "It's been too long…"

Mirai Gohan stopped in front of his father, and his mother, and looked down at them. He was the same height as Goku, but was a little bit taller then his present self, even though he wasn't here for comparison.

Exchanging glances with his father and mother, the adult Gohan, smiled at them and let out a heavy sigh. "It's great to see you two again… mom… dad…" he said, looking at each of them in turn. Goku and Chi-Chi glanced at one another, smiled and then looked back at their older son, seeing him shrug.

"Hey… what's up champ," Goku said reaching out and patting his son on the shoulder. "Heh… never expected to see you all grown up… again?"

"Yeah… it's… kind of new to me too," Mirai Gohan explained. "But… don't be expecting more of this in the future. This'll be the last time…"

"Ahh, don't worry about it," Krillin said from the side, drawing both Sons' attentions. "We're pretty much used to these things happening at this point. But it still takes a bit to adjust to each situation…"

Mirai Gohan grinned at his friend and nodded to him, before glancing over at his mother, who approached him, and gave him a big hug. The two embraced for a few seconds, but to Mirai Gohan, who hadn't been hugged by his mother since he was eleven, tried to make it last for as long as possible. But, all good things must come to an end, and eventually they stepped away from each other. Smiling a small smile, he looked up at all of his friends and family that he had missed, taking them all in with great interest.

"It's great to see all of you… I… can't believe it. You've all changed so much…" Gohan said, scanning the crowds. "Except for you Piccolo… you haven't changed one bit."

The Namekian smirked at him from where he stood, arms folded and in the shade. "You'd be surprised, kid."

"Whatever you say…" Mirai Gohan paused for a moment, taking in his old master's energy signal and appearance. It didn't take him long, but from familiarizing himself with his master from years and years of training, and fighting alongside him, the future version of this time's Gohan came to a rather suitable conclusion. "Kamicolo…"

Piccolo seemed to choke, or cough on breathing air, while the gang around him laughed at the expression of embarrassment and shock on his face. The Namekian shook it off, and smirked up at the adult half-Saiyan.

"Well, at least you still maintain your sense of humor in the future…" the old fighter stated.

"Yeah, I guess…" Mirai Gohan said, but then gestured down at his arm in a sling He clenched that fist, only out of obsession. "Although, coming to assume what my present self in this time may look like, I have to say… comparing me to him… you'll definitely be surprised …"

"Hell yeah!" Lime exclaimed, suddenly appearing at his side, along with Erran and Anya. Gohan looked in the three girls' direction in surprise, not having a clue as to who these young girls were. Blinking in surprise as the three of them approached him and beamed up at him; the older half-Saiyan took a step back and glanced at his father and Krillin. Looking into their faces, and those of 18#, his mother's, Bulma, Mirai Trunks, Yamcha and Tien, he could see huge grins on their faces. It was the worst type: _knowing grins_.

"Umm… are they… the Gohan from this time's, girlfriends… or something," he asked his parents, completely oblivious to the connections these three had with this time's Gohan.

Lime giggled and waved a hand, jabbing him in the arm. "No, silly! We're just, to put it simply, your best friends, you know… girls you saved years ago from alien villains like Cooler, and the monster Cell, which is how we essentially met, and have had crushes on you for a long time, but have decided to stay best friends with you, you know, so we don't ruin the friendships we've made…"

Mirai Gohan blinked. "Really…?"

Erran sighed, head in her hands as she beamed up at the older Gohan. "Yeah…"

"You've gotten taller, Gohan," Anya said. "Are you seeing anyone?"

"Uhh…" Future Gohan was at a loss for words.

The girls crowded around him, while the rest of the Z-gang hung back and watched the sight with great amusement. The high school teenagers, having had their sights set on Gohan for a while now, had an opportunity to try and claim the half-Saiyan's heart. Unfortunately, all their efforts of trying to impress him and capture his attention were failing, due to Mirai Gohan's lack of association with girls in his time.

"You look so cool! I mean, our Gohan is cool as well…" Lime exclaimed, but then gave it some more thought. "Okay… both of you is equally impressive…"

"I can't tell who's hotter: you or our Gohan!" Erran said dreamily.

"Clearly, both Gohans are good lookers," Anya stated.

"Are you going to be staying for a while?" Lime asked.

"Do you want to go out some time?" Erran also asked, still whacked out of it with red cheeks, and stars in her eyes.

"Yeah! Do you want to catch a movie?" Anya butted in, shoving Lime out of the way. The brown haired girl pushed back to get in front.

"No! Go out with me! I can treat you to a big dinner, and a hot-spring resort!" Lime said loudly. Anya leapt on top of the girl and started wrestling with her to get to the front, but inevitably had the two at a stalemate. At the same time, Mirai Gohan was staring down at the pair a bit uncertainly, while Erran gazed dreamily up at him.

While the girls were awing over Mirai Gohan, and the rest of the gang was silently giggling and snickering on the side, there was a sudden change in the atmosphere on the island, which future Gohan immediately detected. Stepping back from the girls, he held a hand up to stop their advances, effectively silencing their questions. Quickly turning around, Mirai Gohan glared towards the space of land behind him. In a blink of an eye, he drew his sword and held it in the direction his eyes were focused.

At that exact same moment, the Gohan from this time suddenly shimmered into view, his own sword drawn and pointed straight at the neck of Mirai Gohan.

The Z-fighters jumped in shock when their Gohan suddenly materialized out of thin air, joined by Videl whom appeared standing a few feet away from him. Dressed in his own black fighting gown, the young half-Saiyan had his blade firmly placed against the neck of Mirai Gohan, whom had the tip pointed straight at present-time Gohan's own throat, one going in for a slash, the other a stabbing counter.

The two Gohans froze in mid-strike, both of them glaring at each other furiously. They stood there, floating in an almost suspended animation like state, seizing up their targets, while ignoring the gasps and murmurs of their family and friends.

"Wow… that was fast," Yamcha exclaimed.

"No foolin'," Tien replied.

"How the heck did Gohan appear like that without us knowing?" Krillin wondered.

"Instantaneous teleportation," Android 18# said, glancing down at her husband. "Remember?"

"Oh! Oh yeah! That's right!"

Piccolo and Vegeta remained quiet, standing in their corners and watching on curiously, along with Goku, who instead showed his surprise outwardly. Everyone else, such as Chi-Chi, Bulma, the Androids, and the other Z-gang regulars, were suddenly thrown on edge.

"I figured I'd run into you sooner or later," Mirai Gohan murmured, serious expression unchanged. This was until a small smile brimmed on his features. "It's nice to meet you… younger-me…"

"Cut the charade out, Scythe! I know it's you!" present day Gohan growled, moving the sword a bit more in emphasis. "Now surrender the sword…"

Mirai Gohan chuckled. "And I see I can still make blatant accusations without thinking. I missed those days…"

"Fine then," Gohan said, sliding the sword down Mirai's neck a bit, slightly cutting into the skin and drawing blood. "If you really are future me, then you'd know how to change your sword's shape at will…"

"Not a smart thing to do when it's pressed up against your throat," Mirai Gohan replied, slightly amused.

"Just do it!" Gohan stated.

Letting out a sigh, Mirai Gohan agreed to his past-self's demands, and in a flash of light and a flicker of atomic matter, the sword instantaneously changed in his grip. Present-day Gohan reacted quickly, leaping backwards through the air just as the blade of the sword in Mirai's hand grew in size, changed to a curved shape, and then solidify.

Standing back, Gohan watched as future Gohan's sword came into view in the form of an enlarged katana, with a thick blade that widened as it approached the end, broached with a golden broad-sword handle guard, and a white mane of fur surrounding it. The weapon shimmered in the light of the sun.

Videl watched silently where she stood, looking between the two Gohans as they faced off with a look of question on her face. She felt slightly uneasy, as she knew that there was only one Gohan on the face of this planet. So why did she feel she was staring at the same person? The headache she was getting from thinking about it was extraordinary.

"_Okay… this is really weird!"_ she thought, placing her hands on her hips and tilting her head.

She looked towards _her_ Gohan, seeing him still locked in a staring contest with his older form. He glanced in her direction slightly, then back.

"_**Videl… get back a bit. Things might get a little messy,"**_ Gohan telepathically communicated with her. Videl blinked, nodding her head.

"_**Sure… just don't get yourself killed, and don't destroy the island we're on,"**_ she replied. Gohan smiled as he stared his future self down.

"_**Don't worry, I won't even dream of killing 'myself',"**_ he replied cheekily. Videl shook her head and sighed.

"Geez, so immature," she muttered, and marched over to where Goku and the others were standing, who had also backed off at the sight of this sudden confrontation.

Gohan eased off a little, backing out into the shallows. The strangest thing as though, he was walking atop of the water, as if it were solid ground. Mirai Gohan meanwhile, followed suit, walking onto the water and circling around so that his back wasn't towards his past life's friends and family. Apparently both of them knew to position their line of sights out of harms way, henceforth, direct attention solely on each other, and make sure no one else was in view.

Twirling his sword around, Mirai Gohan sheathed it onto his back, whereas the present day's Gohan kept his out, holding it at an angle with the tip of the blade aimed towards his older, look-a-like. Everyone on the beach crammed around at the water's edge, wanting to catch a glimpse of the fight that was going to take place about a hundred meters out on the ocean right in front of them. The seas were calm, and the only sounds that could be heard were the seagulls flying overhead, a light breeze whipping through the palm trees, and the calm water rocking back and forth onto the sandy beach.

It was Gohan vs. Gohan…

Advantage… unknown…

However, all the Z-fighters, having seen their own, home grown Gohan in battle, knew that he was not going down without a fight. Everything on the scales was placed solely on him.

"I bet big brother is going to win!" Goten exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Yeah! Go Gohan!" Marron cheered.

"Kick his butt, Gohan!" Kid Trunks exclaimed, waving his arms along with the others. "Fight! Come on!"

Bulma and Chi-Chi silenced their kids with bops on the head, whereas Android 18# picked up her daughter and shushed her with a look.

There was a tense moment of pause.

And then…

Gohan exploded into movement, charging his opponent down and in a blink of an eye (from the Z-fighters' point of view), appearing right in front of Mirai Gohan, who hadn't even bothered to move or let alone react to this Gohan's attack.

Sword brought up and over, the young half-Saiyan was about to bring it down upon Mirai Gohan's head, intent on slicing his opponent in two, and end this fight right now. However, just as the sword was inches from Mirai's head, something strange happened.

Mirai Gohan's eyes widened slightly, and his eyes flickered turquoise. In that instant, Gohan suddenly felt his whole body freeze up for a moment, his sword suddenly hit something rock solid and vibrate against it and his whole world flash a bright red, then a dark black. A split second later, motion returned to his swing, and Gohan struck down with full force, his sword unexpectedly striking the water' surface. The force behind the attack was so massive; he literally carved a deep trench straight through the ocean in the direction his sword was brought down, the walls of water ascending on either side to about 50 stories up. This transmission of force was backed by a distance carried over twenty kilometers, and Gohan's eyes widened in shock at the realization that his attack had missed.

He stared down the wide gap in the ocean he had made, water splashing everywhere. His mind was all a whirl with shock.

"_What the…"_ Gohan glanced up to his right, seeing Mirai Gohan standing just a couple feet out, still staring in the direction he was before, and looking like he hadn't even moved at all. Gohan blinked. _"What the hell was that?"_

Gritting his teeth, Gohan quickly leapt back, speeding across the water before coming to a stop a good hundred meters out once again. Furrowing his brow, the half-Saiyan opted for a different approach. Powering up close to his utmost maximum, Gohan prepared for a second attack, assuming a stance with his sword held up. His blue aura kicked up the water around him violently, joined by sparks of golden electricity. In a blur, he flew across the water's surface, circling around his opponent a couple of times, before coming to Mirai Gohan's back, and charged at him.

Soon he was back in the same striking range he was before, and swung out, making sure he wasn't going to miss this time. He struck out, but just as his blade was inches away from Mirai Gohan's back, there was a flash of light that streaked through the air, crossing with his blade and with a loud clang, Gohan's force was reversed as his blade was unexpectedly knocked back with a force he had never experienced before in his life; the water around the two Gohans kicking up with the output of energy, and his attack ultimately being knocked away.

Gohan's look of shock as his blade was knocked away wasn't as extreme as his thoughts.

"_What! How could he?"_

Gohan tried to attack again, utilizing the sword's reversed force to swing his whole body and weapon around, and attempted to slash at Mirai's neck. The same thing happened again, a flashed streak of light, a loud clang, and the next thing he knew, his sword was batted away, and Mirai Gohan hadn't even moved a muscle. He was just standing there, staring ahead of him with his stoic expression in play.

Growling in frustration, Gohan began floating around his future counterpart, slashing and stabbing out with his sword again and again, only to be met with the same, strange and lightning fast counter. His blade was again and again knocked away, repeatedly by this unknown force. At the same time, Gohan attempted to figure out what the heck it was.

Yelling at the top of his lungs, Gohan went in for a final strike, his aura exploding around him with his massive output of energy, pushing it behind his sword as he brought it around his left side, and swung it straight back at Mirai with both hands holding the handle. His sword glowed gold with the power he put into it. It entered the perimeter his sword was previously being blocked, and for a moment, Gohan thought he was going to land a hit, but the next thing he knew, he was stopped.

Another loud clang was heard, and the momentum Gohan put behind his sword was stopped. Looking down his blade, he saw to his shock, and to the shock of all the gawking Z-fighters on the beach, that Mirai Gohan had stopped his counter-part's blade with the tip of his right finger. It wasn't the side or the nail; it was with the very point of his finger, and Mirai Gohan was holding Gohan's sword in place as if it was nothing.

Gohan was in disbelief.

The Z-warriors gaped as Gohan was held in his place, floating a meter above the ocean's surface, aura blazing, and Mirai Gohan standing where he was, effortlessly deflecting all of the young half-Saiyan's' attacks.

"What in the…?!" Vegeta chocked.

"Mirai managed to block all of Gohan's attacks!" Bulma exclaimed. "It's like… Gohan is nothing to him!"

"To possess that much power," Yamcha began with his voice shaky. "I don't even feel it! It… it… it's unbelievable!"

"That's my master for yah!" Mirai Trunks exclaimed, folding his arms. "He's incredibly powerful… in my time, the most powerful being in the universe. Not bad, huh?"

The present time's Gohan, having heard all the comments on the beach, shook his head and retracted his sword quickly, leaping backward a couple meters and landing atop the water's surface. He landed in a knelt position on the water, his aura dispersing. Swinging his Spirit Blade downward, it instantaneously morphed into the familiar form of his _Lightning Blade._ Blue electricity crackled and snapped around the skull at the handle-guard, and along the blade briefly, before suddenly erupting into a full sheath of blue lightning along the sword, crackling outwards and whipping at the water's surface.

"_Not bad for my future self! How about this!!!!"_

Gohan sent his sword straight towards Mirai, stabbing up and at his future self with full force. However, just before his attack could get within inches of his opponent, Mirai Gohan's eyes flashed turquoise once again, and another amazing thing happened.

There was a jolt in the air around the battling pair, and Gohan suddenly felt himself get thrown off his feet as he was struck full on by an invisible and powerful force. His attack stopped, Gohan, and the water around him was blasted away from Mirai Gohan in a thunderous roar of a powerful shock wave, or sonic blast, or… nobody knew what it was. Whatever happened, Gohan was launched away from Mirai, straight up into the clouds high above, while the Z-fighters only got hit by a portion of the blast wave, which was just like a violent gust of wind to them.

"GOHAN!" Videl cried, as she watched her lover get sent into the atmosphere.

"What the heck was that!?" Goku yelled out.

Gohan, sheathed his sword while still in mid-flight up towards the heavens, gritted his teeth and glared back down towards the planet. Progressively slowing his ascent from the force of the unexpected and unknown blast wave, Gohan cupped his hands behind him in a familiar way, and powered up his next attack quickly, no sign of it appearing as he took aim.

"KA-ME-HA-ME…" he chanted, and in a flash, threw his hands forward, "-HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The blue beam shot out with such force, a thunder like clap was heard, as it broke the sound barrier many times over. He poured energy into the lightning fast blast as it rocketed straight down towards Mirai Gohan, the half-Saiyan pouring a huge quantity of energy into his attack. He aimed so to make sure the blast range wouldn't hit Kame Island, so that meant the attack curved through the air, so that it would hit his target, and only his target.

Mirai Gohan looked up, expression unchanged as he watched the powerful attack approach him. Within seconds, it was upon him, and when it looked like Mirai would be consumed by the attack, he raised his right hand. In a snap, the Kamehameha blast wave struck an unknown barrier, the attack rippling against the invisible force barrier, with a splash effect across the transparent surface. Once all that energy was backed up against it, in a split second, it was reversed, and sent roaring back towards its user in a mass of brilliant blue energy.

Gohan gasped in shock as his attack shot straight back at him, covering the thirty miles he had put between him and his opponent in a blink of an eye, and before he could react, was knocked out of the sky in a fiery explosion. The next thing he knew when after opening his eyes was crashing onto a nearby but deserted island, rubble flying out of the dust cloud that formed from the impact.

Growling, Gohan looked up as he lay sprawled out in the crater he formed into the side of the slanted cliff he had crashed into, covered in stones, chunks of earth, and branches. Blinking, he tried to move his arms and legs, but his body was so badly bruised, cut-up and damaged from his own attack, that he couldn't. He just lay there, smoldering as he attempted to recover from the attack, and his hundred mile fall from the stratosphere high above. Not only was he badly bruised and dirt covered, but his clothes were also ripped, mostly the right side of his outfit.

He gritted his teeth and looked towards Kame island kilometers away, where he saw his family standing at the beach, and Mirai Gohan still standing on the water. They were all dots from where he lay.

"IS THAT THE BEST YOU GOT!" he shouted.

Gohan gasped in shock when Future Gohan suddenly appeared floating just a couple of feet away from him, still glaring seriously down at him. The young half-Saiyan from this time was speechless.

"No…" Mirai Gohan exclaimed in monotone. "I've still got more."

The older Gohan cracked his neck to the side, before holding his right hand up to Gohan's face.

"You may have mastered some of your abilities, but you still have much to learn. Not to mention _I_ am thousands of times more powerful than you at this stage."

Mirai Gohan smirked as the younger Gohan stared back at him nervously, beads of sweat rolling down the sides of his face as he suddenly felt his future self's energy climb to unbelievable heights.

It was incalculable the amount of energy he felt radiating off of his opponent.

"You're going to have a hard time killing someone who was able to defeat Legendary Super Saiyan Broly without even having to go Super Saiyan himself…"

It was then; Gohan knew that Mirai was referring to himself…

_**TO BE CONTINUED…**_

* * *

_**Powerlevels:**_

**Gohan**

Base: 210,000,000

Super Saiyan: 420,000,000

Super Saiyan 2: 650,000,000

Super Saiyan 3: 2,000,000,000

**Mirai Gohan**

Base: 4,000,000,000


End file.
